We're Finally Official! (Sort of)
by HeartAngel1796
Summary: Teaching the twins about Viking union ceremonies, ends with their leader 'officially' married to his long-time love. (RTTE: Snotlout Gets the Axe, episode alternative.)
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own any of HTTYD.**

 **I recommended one of my favorite HTTYD authors 'BeyondTheClouds777', to write this AU, but I realized she is way too busy with her 'Race to the Edge, Season B' series (love it!), so I decided to write it myself.**

 **I loved the scene in the actual episode and I could not stop thinking about what if the others were there, and if it was our favorite couple thinking they were married unexpectedly.**

 **Just to be clear, this is an AU set when that episode took place, so that is where the time line in RTTE is set.**

* * *

After being finished with a bit of morning training, the riders were enjoying a little peaceful time together in the Club House. Snotlout was swinging his sword at a flat enemy standee made of Gronckle Iron, Tuffnut had his helmet off and was trying to walk across the room while balancing Chicken on his head, Ruffnut was keeping track of her brother's progress. Fishlegs sat with Hiccup at the table, going over maps and information from the Dragon Eye. Astrid sat next to Hiccup, sharpening her axe with a smooth stone while listening to the two talk.

"So Lycanwing Island is right here," Fishlegs said, pointing to the island him and the heir visited a few weeks ago on the map. "Did we ever see this one?" he asked, dragging his finger to another island not far from the previous.

Hiccup looked down at the spot. "I don't think so," he said after thinking back a bit. "Maybe we should check that one out next."

Fishlegs nodded in agreement and was about to mark the map, but was stopped when Chicken glided onto the table, landing right on top of the map. Fishlegs screeched in surprise, drawing the attention of everyone else in the room. Tuffnut walked over, putting his helmet back on, and watched as Chicken leaned down and pecked at another island on the map.

"Chicken thinks we should go to that one instead," Tuffnut said, pointing to the map where his Chicken was interested in.

"Well, Chicken is not coming with us, so she doesn't get a say in it," Astrid said while putting her stone on the table, turning to look at the male twin.

"Why not? Why can't our dear old Chicken share an adventure with us once in a while?" Tuffnut asked in dramatic retaliation.

"Well for one thing Tuff," Hiccup said as he stood, gently picking Chicken up off the map and turned back to Tuffnut. "She isn't equipped to handle wild dragons and battle dragon hunters," he said, handing the fowl back to the dreadlocked blonde.

Tuffnut took his beloved pet back and cradled her, stroking her feathers. "Don't listen to him Chicken. I know you're tough, no matter what everyone else thinks," he mumbled close to her head where he assumed she had invisible ears; just like how he has an invisible tail.

As Tuffnut walked away, cooing to his chicken, Hiccup and Astrid just stared at him before looking to each other. Both smiled and shrugged, knowing Tuff was just being his weird self, and Hiccup sat back down beside her.

Fishlegs quickly cleared his throat. "Okay, back to business…" he said, raising his charcoal pencil to mark the island he meant to before he was interrupted. But sadly, just as he was about to touch the charcoal to the parchment again, he found himself startled by a Terrible Terror, flying in and landing on the map in front of him, blocking him once again. "Oh come on! What else in going to come and stand on my map!" Fishlegs hollered in frustration, his pencil flying out of his hand.

"Easy Fishlegs," Hiccup chuckled. Hiccup then looked down and saw a scroll tied to the little dragon's leg. Hiccup untied the scroll and the Terror leaped off the table to curl up on a chest on the other side of the room. Astrid leaned in as Hiccup unrolled the scroll.

"Oh, I think this is from my dad," Hiccup said happily, glimpsing down at the bottom of the parchment.

"What does he want?" Astrid asked.

"Yeah, read it out loud," Snotlout said, coming over to the table to listen. The twins did as well. Hiccup looked back at the letter and started to read.

" _Dear Hiccup, I've been missing having you home lately and wanted to come to the Edge on Skullcrusher myself, but I have a little too much on my plate here on Berk right now to come for a visit. So Gobber suggested I write you letters instead when I am missing you._

 _Skullcrusher is doing well. He is liking his new home with me and his position as the chief's dragon. Chiefing from his back has been making my job easier every day._

 _Astrid's Auxiliary team is doing fine. I go over to the academy and watch their progress every couple of days and they are getting better. I've been trying to give Gustav some pointers on being a leader from the back of a dragon, but I think he would fare better learning from you._

 _Gobber is well, despite his lack of assistance at the forge these days. He says hello and that he misses his apprentice._

 _And just to keep you updated on things happening; Sven has expanded his sheep field to make room for the sheep from Bucket and Mulch's farm. Bucket and Mulch have decided to focus their farming on yaks. A family of Terrible Terrors have moved into a nest on the top of the Great Hall. And Gustav has informed me that his cousin Brenna is getting married to a nice young man from the Meathead Tribe next week. The union ceremony will take place on Meathead Island, so the Larsons are leaving soon for the wedding. Gustav said he was very excited to show off Fanghook to the rest of his family and to the Meatheads._

 _Hope you, Toothless, your friends, and the other dragons are well. Be careful, and please write me back when you can. ~Love, Dad."_ Hiccup read aloud from the parchment. "Huh, that was nice," he smiled.

"Yeah, my parents wrote to me last week. I enjoy hearing back from them," Astrid said to him.

"Me too," Snotlout also said. "But did he really have to mention all that useless stuff like Sven's sheep and Gustav's cousin getting married?"

"Hey, I'm glad he told me that," Hiccup said to his cousin across the table. "It's good to know what's going on with everyone else back home. Which is why dad wants me to write him back and let him know I'm okay and we're all doing fine over here too."

"And I for one am very happy for Gustav's cousin. I mean don't you just love union ceremonies?" Fishlegs said happily, cupping his hands together and placing them under his chin, dreamily.

"Don't know. Never been to one," Ruffnut said from by the door way, leaned up against the wall beside the frame.

"What?" Fishlegs asked, looking her way.

"Really?" Hiccup did the same.

"Yeah, us Thorstons are not exactly the marrying kind. We're more of the mutton kind," Tuffnut said walking up to stand beside his sister. Having let Chicken walk around on her own.

"Well, as luck would have it, I am somewhat of an authority on Viking union ceremonies," Fishlegs told them proudly.

"Why are we not surprised?" Snotlout moaned sarcastically.

Fishlegs sighed but brushed the Jorgenson boy's comment off. "Anyway, I could teach you guys about them," he said to the twins. Then his eyes brighten as a better idea came to his mind. "I know," he squealed briefly before turning to the others. "Let's all meet down at my hut later and I can give everyone a run through on Viking union ceremonies," he said happily.

"Uh, excuse me?" Snotlout said annoyed. "If it's for the twins, why do the rest of us have to be there?"

"Well it could be fun," Fishlegs said. But Snotlout didn't look convinced. Fishlegs turned to Hiccup with a pleading looking, silently asking for help.

"Uh, Fishlegs is right," Hiccup said.

"He is?" Astrid asked him. She wasn't too thrilled about the possibility of this activity.

"Yes. And it would be more fun if we were all there," Hiccup said to her.

"Yeah, all there to watch these two muttonheads learn about mushy vows and dancing," Snotlout chuckled to himself, but everyone still heard him. The other riders looked at Snotlout annoyed for a moment. "What? I'm saying I'll be there," he shrugged.

After a look from Hiccup, Astrid conceded as well. "Fine, I'll be there too."

Hiccup smiled and turned to Fishlegs, giving him a friendly, nod, letting him know they were all in. "Great," Fishlegs clapped his hands together with joy. "So we'll all meet at my hut later and I'll show you all you'll need to know."

"Great! Because we know very little about… most things," Tuffnut said before he and his sister started to walk out the front door of the Club House. Everyone else sighed with a roll of their eyes as they watched them.

* * *

That afternoon, everyone was outside Fishlegs' hut. They had a long table set up, full of food to demonstrate what a proper Viking union feast entails. Plus, it was just about lunch time.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut sat at the head of the table with their feet propped up. The others just watched from by the hut as Tuff nibbled on a fish bone and Ruff continually licked at a plate.

"Okay, so table etiquette it's really your strong suits," Fishlegs said slowly before quickly noticing a small fire on top of the table. Hiccup noticed too and grabbed a bucket of water to put it out. "Why don't we move on to the actual union ceremony," Fishlegs suggested after the fire was out.

"Yeah, let's move this along already," Snotlout yawned, leaning back into his own chair on the other side of the table.

"Tuff, why don't you be the officiator," Fishlegs said as the twins stood up from the table.

"Nice! I'm finally official," Tuffnut said, pumped.

"And Ruffnut, you can stand in as the bride," Fishlegs said to the other twin.

"Yeah, no thanks. Unlike Tuff, I prefer learning by watching not participating," Ruffnut said, sitting down on the rocks by the table, getting comfortable to watch the 'wedding.'

"Oh, okay. Then, uh… " Fishlegs shuttered, looking around franticly for another option. And that option was Astrid. "Astrid, you'll have to stand in as the bride."

"What? Why me?" Astrid snapped up right from where she was leaning against his hut.

"Well, you are the only other girl here," Fishlegs shrugged.

At the mention of Astrid being the bride, Snotlout almost fell out of his chair in anticipation before immediately springing to his feet. While Astrid pouted, Hiccup noticed Snotlout's sudden snap of attention to what they were doing and knew in a second that he was going to volunteer to be the groom.

Even though this was all supposed to be fake, Hiccup did not want that. And even if it might be a little funny to see Astrid brooding and angry through the whole thing, she might be angrier at him later if he didn't try and do something to help her. Freya knows she'd never even want to be Snotlout's fake bride. And besides, he really wanted to be standing there with Astrid himself.

In a bit of panic, Hiccup hastily stepped forward. "And… uh, I'll stand in as the groom," Hiccup said, raising his arm. Astrid looked to her best friend, smiling for a brief moment before Snotlout cut in.

"What?!" the Jorgenson shouted in outrage.

Astrid dashed the short distance to Hiccup's side, grabbing his arm. "Yes, Hiccup will be the groom. He spoke up first," she said quickly. She would take Hiccup over Snotlout being her fake groom without blinking an eye.

"Oh come on!" Snotlout threw his arms up in frustration, stomping back to his chair to wallow as he too watched the 'wedding' with a pout.

"Alright," Fishlegs clapped his hands together. "So we have our bride and groom," he said, getting behind both Hiccup and Astrid, steering them over to stand on his stone patio, their backs facing his little pond. "Okay, now Hiccup, you need to hold Astrid's hands like this," Fishlegs took Hiccup's wrist and guided him to have his right hand palm up, and then guided Astrid to place both her hands there, and Hiccup's left hand covered the top. "Perfect," the larger boy smiled as he walked away. Hiccup and Astrid shared a quick look with each other but looked away as both their faces grew warm, but kept their hands where they were asked to.

"So what does the officiator do?" Tuffnut asked.

"These are the traditional Viking union words," Fishlegs said, handing the male twin an unraveled scroll. "You read them," he instructed before stepping away to pull a chair away from the table and placed it just to Tuffnut's left. As he sat down, Fishlegs glanced back at Tuff and noticed he was looking over the scroll while only mumbling the words to himself. "Out loud," Fishlegs clarified.

"Oh, okay," Tuffnut said. "I was reading'em in my head. Any who…" Tuff quickly cleared his throat before reading out loud off the scroll; very loud, deep, and dramatic. "Yay, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, child of Odin. Doth taketh Astrid Ingrid Hofferson, daughter of Freya, to be his betrothed-ed-ed. And by utterance of these words, this union may only be broken in the Halls of Valhalla," Tuff waved his arms fluidly, waving one up towards the sky. "You may head-butt the bride," he said directly to Hiccup. Both 'bride and groom' raised an eye brow at this, but Hiccup reluctantly shrugged before lightly tapping his forehead to Astrid's hair. Tuffnut watched this and chuckled. "I just added that part," he admitted.

Still flushed, Astrid looked from Hiccup to her hands in his before pulling them away gently but quickly. "Okay, so that's how a Viking union is performed," she said in a rush, wanting to get out of this odd and somewhat awkward situation. "So we're done here," she took a single step forward.

"Wait," Fishlegs said, stopping Astrid in her tracks. "Aren't you forgetting something?" he asked in an assuming tone. Astrid looked back at Hiccup for an answer, but the chief's son only shrugged. Both looked back at Fishlegs, still not knowing, and Fishlegs sighed. "Geez, maybe you guys need this education more than the twins," he said with a hand rubbing his forehead. "The bride and groom's dance," he said to them.

"Dance?" Astrid exasperated.

"Fishlegs, is all this showing really necessary?" Hiccup asked the larger boy.

"It's all a demonstration Hiccup. If it's part of the ceremony, you guys need to do it," Fishlegs told them.

"Yeah guys," Ruffnut said from her rock. "How are Tuff and I supposed to learn if you don't complete the ceremony?" she teased, very much enjoying the show.

Hiccup looked back from Ruff as she chuckled, to Astrid as she rubbed her arm, annoyed, and looked down at her feet. Hiccup reached a hand out and put a hand on her shoulder. Astrid snapped her head up to see that adorable lopsided grin of his and kind, reassuring eyes. "Come on Astrid, one dance won't kill us," he offered while also offering her his other hand to take.

Astrid's heart and cheeks warmed further at this gesture. True, she had deep feelings for Hiccup, and won't mind the bit of extra physical contact, but she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to do it like this, with all of their friends watching. Astrid wasn't sure how to execute her feeling when she had them too well, especially when it came to deeper emotions. She was already feeling her nerves bubbling oddly from the fact that Tuff had just spoke both their names and 'pronounced' them as betrothed while they held hands. She didn't know why, but after glancing at his intrigued face once again, she caved.

With a sigh, Astrid took his offered hand and stepped closer, placing her other hand on his shoulder. Hiccup followed her lead and placed his on her upper back. And the two started to sway.

After less than half a minute of swaying like two leafs in a lazy, gentle breeze, Astrid rolled her eyes. "This feels lame," she mumbled to herself. It wasn't that she didn't like being held by Hiccup the way she was, but their dance didn't feel like a dance at all. Just a boring step that way then another. Plus it felt a bit awkward being watched by everyone else. But as soon as the words left her lips, she felt even more awkward because Hiccup heard her say that. She didn't want him thinking she didn't like being this close to him, so she just kept swaying and kept her mouth shut.

"Maybe we just need a little music," Fishlegs said from his chair. "Oo! I'll go get my pan pipes," he announced in excitement before dashing into his hut.

Hiccup did his best to smile with her face so close to his, but she was right. This did feel pretty lame. And he could understand why Astrid would think so. He knew she preferred faster paces in things she did, as did he most of the time. Another thing they had in common. And he knew this was not how Vikings dance at weddings. He remembered hearing about real Viking union receptions and how the bride and groom would dance and even sing to a special…

Hiccup's eyes widened as a light turned on in his head. He knew it was stupid and a bit crazy, and he wasn't really sure how Astrid would react to it, but like Fishlegs said, 'this was a demonstration. If it's part of the ceremony, they had to do it.' And it would defiantly give what they were doing some better energy. Astrid noticed his eyes widen and knew something just clicked in that vast head of his. She knew Hiccup well enough to know when he is thinking and when he has an idea. But before she could ask him what, he started to whistle.

The first few notes were all Astrid needed to recognize the song he was trying to initiate. It was an old Viking ditty, traditionally for weddings. She was surprised Hiccup would think to use this song for right now, but at the same time, she was not surprised.

But she was more surprised that Fishlegs didn't remember to bring it up himself. He was the 'authority on Viking union ceremonies' among them after all.

But Hiccup wasn't stopping there. After whistling the entire chorus through, he started to sing the words.

" _I'll swim and sail on savage seas, with ne'er a fear of drowning,"_ he sang. Fishlegs just stepped out of his hut with not only his pan pipes, but also a tambourine and a small drum, and listened and watched the scene with the other riders. _"And gladly ride the waves of life, if you will marry me-e. No scorching sun, nor freezing cold, will stop me on my journey, if you will promise me your heart,"_ Hiccup started to slow down his singing. Astrid's hand that was on his shoulder slowly slid down to his chest, which Hiccup held after removing his other hand from her back. Astrid looked down at her two hands being held by Hiccup between the two of them. Astrid looked back up at Hiccup's face, an encouraging smile on his lips. _"And love…"_ he started for her.

She knew this song. She knew it was the female's part next. Astrid was still nervous. This was a wedding song after all. And dancing and singing a wedding song with your crush made one's mind race pretty fast. But the thing was… she really wanted to.

" _And love me for eternity,"_ she sang the next part. Hiccup smiled wider and their joined hands slip down until they were separated once again, at their own sides. _"My dearest one, my darling dear, your mighty words astound me,"_ Astrid lifted her right arm, her elbow bent and her fingers in a fist. Hiccup copied her, touching his forearm with hers. _"But I've no need of mighty deeds when I feel your arms around me."_ The two started circling each other, not taking their eyes off the other. Hiccup chuckled as they quickly switched directions.

By now, Ruffnut had gotten off her rock and came over to where Fishlegs and Tuffnut were standing. Fishlegs held his pan pipes, Tuff had the drum, and as she came over, Ruff was handed the tambourine. Snotlout just sat where he was, watching with a jealous huff in his throat. As the dance continued, the three riders with instruments started to play a complimenting tone for them.

" _But I would bring you rings of gold,"_ Hiccup sang at a faster pace, taking hold of Astrid's left hand with his, and her right with his, hopping up to clank their ankles together. _"I'd even sing you poetry."_ Hiccup knelt down on his right knee as Astrid comes around him, hopping over his leg and circled back around to his front.

"Oh would you?" she asked as he took hold of both her hands again.

" _And I would keep you from all harm,"_ Hiccup leaned towards Astrid's right shoulder and she did the same to him. Then doing the same to their lefts. _"If you would stay beside me."_

Astrid turns to stand with her back to Hiccup, crossing her arms in front of her. Hiccup held her hands on each side of her as they swayed and hopped from one foot to the other to the beat. _"I have no use for rings of gold, I care not for your poetry, I only want your hand to hold,"_ Astrid spines out from Hiccup.

" _I only want you near me."_

Hiccup pulls Astrid to him again, his right arm caressing her upper back again while his other arm is extended up over his head, bent slightly at the elbow. Astrid held herself to him, her left arm holding onto the arm around her and her right hand on his left shoulder. Both kept their eyes locked on the other as they spun around in circles and sang together.

" _To love and kiss, to sweetly hold, for the dancing and the dreaming. Through all life's sorrows and delights, I'll keep your love inside me. I'll swim and sail on savage seas with ne'er a fear of drowning, and gladly ride the waves of life, if you will marry me!"_ Hiccup picked Astrid up by the waist, holding her as high as he could with her hands on both his shoulders.

The other riders stopped playing their instruments, laughing and cheering as Hiccup started to put Astrid back down on her feet. The two stared at each other, trying to catch their breathes through exhilarated smiles. Hiccup absentmindedly kept his hands on Astrid's waist as did Astrid with her hands on his firm shoulders as they breathed, at least until Fishlegs came over, clapping with glee.

"Oh, that was beautiful guys!" the larger boy cheered. Hiccup immediately pulled his hands back to himself and took a slight step away from his dance partner, as did Astrid, giving Fishlegs their attention. "I didn't know you knew that dance."

"Yeah, neither did I," Astrid said almost bashfully, turning to Hiccup. "I mean, I didn't know you knew how to do that dance," she said to the auburn haired boy.

"Well, my dad used to sing that song to me when I was little," Hiccup grinned fondly while he rubbed the back of his neck. "He said it was my mother's favorite, and it was 'their' song. And when I asked Gobber about the song, he told me there was a dance that goes with it, and for some reason he just taught that to me too," he chuckled, remembering back. Hiccup put his arm back down. "But I didn't know you were in to dancing," he said directly to her.

"Oh I'm not, my parents just made me go to a lot of weddings when I was younger. And I used to catch them dancing and singing that song at home on occasions," she said shrugging. "I thought it was sweet," she grinned up at him.

"Yeah," Hiccup shrugged and grinned back, his blush slightly returning. "Well, I didn't think I'd do so well, you know since I have this," he lifted his metal leg up a bit, gesturing down to it. "But then again, I was taught by a man also missing a leg," he joked.

"Looks like you got lessons from just the right guy," Astrid chuckled.

"Yeah," Hiccup looked down again, too bashful to look at her for a moment, rubbing his arm. "This was fun," he said to her honestly, meeting her eyes again. Astrid smiled back. She opened her mouth to tell him she truly enjoyed herself as well, but she didn't get to.

"Lessons!" Tuffnut exclaimed, making everyone look at him. Hiccup and Astrid were too focused on each other, and their conversation also held Fishlegs' and Ruffnut's attention the whole time, they didn't notice the male twin had been studying the scroll in his hands very closely since the dance ended. Looking for something he thought he knew, and what Astrid just said sprang something in his wonky memory. "I knew this stuff all looked familiar," he said, glancing from the scroll to the other riders.

"Uh, familiar?" Fishlegs asked.

"It's all coming back to me now. This is the same as when I trained with the town officiator back on Berk," he continued, mostly to himself.

Hiccup's back snapped taller. "Wait, you did what?" he asked quickly.

"I took lessons on Viking union ceremonies. Slipped my mind. I am a man of many talents after all," Tuff elaborated proudly.

"So you officially trained with the town officiator?" Astrid asked with a bit of dread, sensing were this was possibly going.

"I mean that's a lot of officiating, but yeah," Tuff answered.

"Tuff can perform Viking union ceremonies, we've just never been to one before," Ruffnut jumped in to make clear. "I can check that off my bucket list," she crossed her arms with a proud smirk.

Hiccup stumbled back a bit, one hand on the feast table supporting him up as he covered his eyes with the other.

"Oh. My. Gods," Astrid said with horrified realization, bring her hands up to cover her face.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Tuffnut asked. "This is great for me!" he said with joy. "I whole new world has opened to me. A new career. New potentiality. New possibilities. And all those happy, officiated faces, looking back at me into my eyes with gratitude," he fantasized. But no body shared in his happy vision. Fishlegs whined under his breath, as the only other person who realized the severity of this situation, and started to walk away in his silent panic. "No? Okay you go," he said as he watched Fishlegs walk back into his hut.

Hiccup raised his head and looked back at Tuff. And then over at Astrid; her face in her hands, her cheeks flushed.

If Tuff can perform legal Viking unions, and he just said the union words with their names, with them willingly standing right there, and not only that, they also sang and danced the traditional Viking union song… then that means…

"Astrid and I just got married?!" Hiccup shouted.

A moment of silence passed before Snotlout snorted and roared with laughter, falling out of his chair. Ruffnut quickly followed, leaning over as she held her gut that ached with her mirth. All this happened while Tuffnut just stared from the two laughing riders and the other two he just accidently married.

"Oh," he said. But then something else occurred to him. "Wait, why aren't you guys looking back at me with happiness and gratitude?"

* * *

 **I also do not own the song 'For Dancing and Dreaming'. I couldn't resist not using that song here.**

 **Not exactly sure when I will come back to continuing and finishing this, but I know what I want to do with it.**

 **Please let me know what u think, comments mean a lot to me. Bye for now ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own any of HTTYD**

 **I am SO SORRY it has been forever since I posted the first chapter. I was anticipating to have this done by Halloween, but I (I hate making excuses) was so caught in writing for school. But that's what happens when u are a writing major. I wanted so badly to work on this more, but I worked on it when I could.**

 **My original plan was to divide the events of this story into only 3 chapters, but as I was writing this chapter, I became much longer then I thought it would. I was tempted to cut it in half somewhere, but I rejected the idea, several times. But now that it is Halloween, and I'm still not done, and I felt bad for not giving u guys more in so long (longer then I intended), I caved and cut the original chapter as much as I thought was okay.**

 **Despite that I cut it, this chapter is a bit longer then the first, and the other half I removed will be the next chapter, which I am happy to say is very very close to being finished.**

* * *

The riders had left Fishlegs' yard and the boys were all gathered in the Club House. Snotlout was snacking on left-overs from the feast with his feet propped up on the center table, Fishlegs was fiercely reading through a book on Viking unions across from him, Tuffnut sat beside him but looking over the scroll he was given earlier.

And Hiccup could not stop pacing the floor. Toothless sat in the corner, watching worriedly as his distressed rider walked.

"Tuff, how could you forget studying under the town officiator?" Hiccup finally stopped for a moment to ask the male twin, anxiously.

"More importantly, how could Elvar take you on as his student?" Fishlegs muttered under his breathe. If anyone else heard him, they didn't reply.

"Hiccup I swear, I took a course with Elvar the Harmonious himself," Tuffnut said, so sure of what he remembered. "He was really cranky. I don't think he liked me that much," he added, thinking back to the lessons he shared with Berk's current and only officiator; Elvar the Harmonious.

Hiccup moaned in despair before resuming his pacing. "This is so messed up," he moaned again, rubbing both his hands threw his hair.

"Oh for the love of Freya, Hiccup," Snotlout said annoyed, standing up from the table. "Quit your whining."

"I'm sorry Snotlout," Hiccup apologized sarcastically as he turned to face his cousin, his expression showing he was just as annoyed. "But I think I have the right to whine."

"Not as much as I do," Snotlout said, walking up closer to his cousin. "I was this close," Snotlout held up his index and thumb between the two of them, the tips almost touching. "to volunteering to be the groom before you. I should have been the one married to Astrid right now," he sneered. Hiccup sneered back, not liking what Snotlout was saying. Toothless grumbled in the Jorgenson boy's direction.

"Snotlout, do you realize how bad this could be!" Hiccup snapped back, turning the conversation elsewhere. "What do you think Astrid parents going to say? What do you think my father is going to say when he finds out his only son and heir just eloped?!"

"And that's what's ticking me off more Hiccup," Snotlout shot back. Hiccup's face shifted from outraged to confused. "You two are married and your acting like the sky is falling. No doubt she's probably freaking out right now too, I mean that's understandable, you know, from her end," he said, looking Hiccup up and down. Hiccup quickly rolled his eyes, annoyed again. "But you," he continued, pointing to the auburn haired boy before him. "You should be happy. If I found myself married to anyone as tough and smart and beautiful as Astrid, I'd be pretty damn happy."

The Club House was quiet as Hiccup and Snotlout shared a stare for a few moments while Hiccup took in what his cousin just said. He had a point. Hiccup had been crazy about Astrid for years. They'd been close for so long. Not exactly a 'boyfriend and girlfriend' relationship, but he maintained his deep feelings for her, and he could tell she felt at least _something_ for him. He wasn't sure how strong it was, but she wouldn't have given him those kisses and hugs over the years if she hated him.

But marriage? Right now?

They couldn't be married just like that. They were out there for a reason; to look for Dagur, fight Dragon Hunters, save dragons, and explore new lands for new dragons to study and protect. None of them could live a married life on their outpost. And even if they could make it work, everything was wrong with how it happened. Not only was his father and Astrid's parents left out of the whole affair, the ceremony wasn't held on Berk's secret matrimonial site: The Island of Frigga, and they didn't have a village elder present. But most importantly, they didn't mean to. Fishlegs' little _demonstration_ wasn't supposed to result in the two actually married.

True, Hiccup could see himself with no one else but Astrid and he would love more than anything for her to love him back, but he couldn't tell her that. If they were to be married someday, he wanted it to start with him asking her and then her saying 'yes' before a ceremony transpired.

But no matter what he thought was the right course of things, he knew Astrid deserved to be happy. That's what he wanted for her. Whether it meant being married to him accidently, purposely, or not at all.

Choosing to not continue with Snotlout, Hiccup stepped away from the shorter young man and spoke to another Viking in the room.

"Fishlegs, anything on your end?"

Fishlegs glanced up from his book to his leader. "Honestly Hiccup, the best thing we can do is go back to Berk and have a talk with Elvar, Gothi, and your dad to see if they can do anything," he sighed.

"Okay, but this just stays with them and us. I don't want this spreading all over Berk," he commanded to everyone in the room. Fishlegs and Tuffnut each gave their leader a nod. Hiccup looked back over his shoulder at Snotlout, arms crossed in the corner. Snotlout gave him a grumpy glance, followed by a nod. Hiccup turned back to the table, thinking. "Alright, so if we leave within the hour we can make it back by…" he planned out loud, but was interrupted by a rumble of thunder. Hiccup turned to the front door, looking out at dark storm clouds on the horizon.

Hiccup's shoulders slumped. There was no way they could travel safely to Berk tonight through that. Tuffnut approached the dismayed lad from behind, placing his hands on his shoulders. "Well you know Hiccup, they say rain on your wedding day is good luck. Elvar told me that," the male twin said happily, but Hiccup was not cheered.

* * *

Astrid paced the floor of her hut. Ruffnut watched her while sipping a tankard of mead, sitting on a bench with Chicken right beside her; also watching Astrid walk back and forth. After the events in front of Fishlegs' hut earlier, Astrid immediately said she was going to her hut and told Ruff to come over. But before Ruff could leave the rock garden, Tuffnut had stopped her and insisted she bring Chicken. This was obviously a 'female conversation,' and he did not want Chicken to feel left out. Which was also why Stormfly and Meatlug were both just outside her door, poking their heads in.

"Ugh, and I thought Hiccup's pacing was annoying," Ruffnut groaned with a roll of her eyes.

"I can't stop pacing Ruff," Astrid replied with stopping her walk or turning her head to the female twin. "I am freaking out," her breathe shuttered a bit, pulling her braid over her shoulder to stroke nervously.

"Okay, that's perfectly fine," Ruffnut said calmly, raising her free hand in a reassuring gesture. "Most brides do a little freaking out _before_ their wedding, but since you couldn't, you go on ahead and do it now," she said before taking another sip from her tankard.

"This isn't funny Ruff!" Astrid snapped, finally stopping to glare in front of her female friend. "This is bad," she said quieter, worriedly tugging on her braid again.

"Bad? Now I know why you didn't want to have this little freak out in front of Hiccup," Ruff said unamused. "He'd be so offended. In fact, I think _I'm_ offended. I'm offended _for_ Hiccup right now," she belted in a teasing outrage. But Astrid didn't react. The shield maiden just tugged on her braid, looking down on the floor, deep in thought and her face redden with concern and a bit of fear. Ruff rubbed a hand over her face with a sigh before putting her tankard down on the floor beside her. "Astrid, you should be happy," she said honestly.

Whipping her braid back behind her, Astrid growled and looked Ruff in the eye. "I just got married accidently and unexpectedly, Ruff. Why should I be happy?!"

"Because you just got married accidently and unexpectedly _to Hiccup_!" the female twin said, emphasizing on the name of the girl's _new husband_. Astrid's nostrils flared, trying to calm her frustration. Surprisingly, the mention of Hiccup's name was helping. But it was also scaring her at the same time. Ruff smiled up at her, trying to get her to see the brightness in this. "Astrid, its Hiccup. Sweet, brave, smart, gorgeous, crazy, little Hiccup," she said sweetly.

Astrid raised a brow. "Gorgeous?"

"Astrid, if even you can't admit he hasn't gotten hot over the years, you're dead to me," Ruff deadpanned. Thinking it over, Astrid silently agreed. But she probably wouldn't have used that word. Nor did she think Ruff would use that word. Astrid crossed her arms and started passing again, but within a shorter distance this time; about the length of the bench where Ruff and Chicken sat. "And besides that, we all know he's had feelings for you even before he trained the dragons, and we know you've been having feelings for him back for a good long while now," she stated in a knowing voice.

Astrid stopped and looked at the other girl to respond. "You say that like its obvious," she said meekly.

She wasn't expecting anyone to notice. I mean, Astrid of course noticed Hiccup's awkward behavior around her over the years. She prided herself on her intimidating presence, but it was more than that. She could tell. And back then, it wasn't that she hated Hiccup or ever even picked on him like Snotlout used to, but there was something about him. She didn't know what is was, but it was enough to make her not want to bully him. But it also wasn't enough for her to feel the need to be nice and maybe be his friend.

And these days, maybe they were a bit more obvious. Maybe the others saw it in the way she looked at him, the way they hugged, how she'd punch him before kissing him on the check or even sometimes on his lips. And then she thought; 'it feels like it's been forever since I last touched my lips to any of him.' Astrid resisted the urge to touch a finger to her lips with Ruff right there.

"It is. To everyone. Especially Tuff and I, we're your biggest supporters. From a distance anyway," Ruff replied proudly. Astrid rolled her eyes as Ruff continued with another argument. "There's also the fact that he's the Chief's son and heir. If he's the future Chief, that makes you the future Lady Chief," she said confidently. "Hasn't it ever crossed your mind once that you would make an awesome Lady Chief?" Astrid stared at the other side of the room, in thought. She did used to think about it a lot when she was younger. Being the most important woman in the village. Everyone looking up to her. But that was before she realized the only ways how it would be possible; marry the chief himself or his successor. Stoick was much too old for her, and back then at least, she thought there was no way she could see herself married to his only son. But her thoughts had been changed since then. And now she really was married to that only son. And now she thought… "So tell me Astrid, where is there a reason for you to not be happy about your resent nuptials?" Ruff asked with an engaging grin, knowing Astrid wouldn't have a better counter argument. Ruff locked her fingers on both hands together and rested her chin on them, her elbows on her knees; like a therapist.

Astrid sighed after thinking an extra few seconds. "Ruff, even if I wanted to get married someday, I wouldn't have wanted it to be like this," she said, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. "Even if it is to Hiccup," she admitted quieter.

"But he's your knight in shining Gronckle Iron," Ruff whined. "Or should I say _Night Fury_ in shinning… wait that doesn't sound right," she trailed off, scratching her chin in thought. "Night Fury knight in… no, that's worse." Astrid just watched her, a confused sneer on her face. What did she mean by that? "Rider of night in shinning…"

"Hold it, what are you getting at?" Astrid interrupted the other girl.

"Come on, Astrid," Ruffnut looked her in the eye. "Think back. You knew Snotlout was gonna speak up and want to be the groom after Fishlegs said you were gonna be the bride."

"He only named me the bride because you said you wanted to 'learn by watching'," she said, making air quotes when she said the last three words.

"True," Ruff shrugged. "But back to my point; Snotlout was going to volunteer, you knew Snotlout was going to want to volunteer, and Hiccup knew. So he volunteered first, and when he did, you rushed over and practically claimed him as your groom yourself," she continued, crossing her arms with a knowing smirk.

"Well, yeah, because I knew Snotlout would make a big deal out of it during and after the ceremony, acting like we really were just married," Astrid said.

"Well, you really would have been just married to that muttonhead if Hiccup haven't spoken first."

Astrid threw her arms up in exasperation. "I thought it was all pretend!" she snapped. "We all thought it was pretend. A pretend bride, a pretend groom, with a pretend officiator. But instead, we had a real officiator and now, a real husband and wife!"

"Exactly!" Ruffnut stood up, face to face with Astrid's agitated look. "Hiccup stepped in and unknowingly saved you from actually marrying Snotlout," she said.

Astrid's face softened. Ruff was right. Stopping her from unknowingly marrying Snotlout was a big save in her book. But with either or, they didn't know it would end that way. "He thought it was…" Astrid started to say meekly, her eyes lulling to the side, but Ruff cut her off.

"Pretend," she finished for her. "I know," she rolled her eyes. "But there's still my point that even though you thought it was pretend, you still clung to Hiccup and wanted him to stand by you after he spoke up. And if he hadn't, you would be the new Mrs. Jorgenson right now. Not the new Mrs. Haddock."

Astrid's face froze as the severity of the name struck her.

"Mrs. Haddock," she repeated to herself. She was the new Mrs. Haddock. Astrid heavily sat down on a chair by the bench Chicken was still on. Ruffnut sat back down on the bench, right next to her female friend, trying to offer any comfort. Astrid held the bridge of her nose, trying to take everything in. "You're right on a lot of things Ruff," she admitted, removing her hand from her face but still kept her gaze from the other girl's face. "He has become fairly good looking, in his own unassuming, dorky way," she chuckled. "I've had feeling for him for what feels like a long time, and I have actually thought once or twice that I might make a good Lady Chief." Astrid finally looked at Ruff, her eyes desperate. "But I'm not ready for that yet Ruff. I'm not ready to be Lady Chief, or a wife, or a…" she paused, afraid to even say the other thing. But, she pushed herself to say it anyway. "…m-mother," she stuttered barely above a whisper. "And I don't think Hiccup is either," she shook her head before dropping her face into her hands, totally lost.

Ruffnut brought her hand up to pat the girl's shoulder. "Well of course he's not. He's a free spirited guy with his head in the clouds. He maybe our leader, but he's not ready to be Berk's leader," she said with a smile, offering reassurance. "It's like you said, this was all unexpected and accidental. You guys are just in a little shock. It's all happening so fast. But you guys care about each other. If there's no way around this marriage, I know you guys can make it work." Astrid lifted her head from her hands and looked back at Ruff, moving her arms to hug herself. "And then, after a couple of years, the shock has worn off, you guys have eased your happy way into a lovely marriage, Stoick has finally passed the torch onto Hiccup, making you and him the new beacons for hope and leadership of the tribe," Ruff trailed off while Astrid just stared. "maybe, just maybe, you guys we be ready for those wee ones," she said, sounding optimistic, but Astrid's face shifted to distraught. Ruffnut didn't pay her friend's look any notice as she turned more in her seat, placing both her hands on Astrid's shoulders, looking into her eyes. And before Astrid could get a word in, the Thorston girl pulled her in for an odd hug. Astrid's eyes remained open, feeling awkward and not too reassured, her left cheek smooshed against Ruff's left shoulder. "So rest assured, Tuff and I will do our best to help ease you two into this marriage," she promised sweetly as she gently rubbed her troubled friend's back.

Astrid sort of appreciated the thought, but this wasn't the kind of reassurance she was thinking she needed. And the prospect of the twins _helping_ her and Hiccup wasn't as reassuring as the other girl, and no doubt her brother, thought.

* * *

Astrid listened as Ruffnut went on about how Berk was going to react to hearing the jolly news. Thinking they'll throw a huge party to celebrate their beloved heir's marriage. But the thought only gave Astrid a twisted gut. What were her parents going to say? They would most likely be surprised at first, maybe a little mad because they didn't know, but then they would be overjoyed hearing she married the future chief. They knew Hiccup would be good to their daughter and she will make a great Lady Chief. Then that raised the question of what the Chief was going to say. He would probably react the same; mad at first, with more yelling at his son, but then happy because he liked Astrid and knew she'd be a great new addition to the family.

But then there was the matter of explaining to the people how their heir was already married without a proper ceremony on Berk, in front of them all. Maybe Stoick would announce they were just engaged and then immediately hold a second ceremony just for show, so the people can see them married properly. Would they use Elvar for that, or would it be Tuffnut again?

Talking about a party to celebrate the union brought up the thought of food. They had been in Astrid's hut all afternoon, so it was almost dinner time. The last thing Astrid wanted to do was to see Hiccup, knowing it would just be awkward for them to see each other right now. But she would never let fear stop her from doings what's important. And it was important for them to talk about this. They had to have a plan.

With their dragons following them, Astrid and Ruffnut, holding Chicken, made their way to the Club House. But as they approached the only opened door, Astrid stopped, still dreading to face her _new husband_. Astrid scolded herself in her head. Why was this so hard for her? She knew Hiccup and she knew how to handle him. Why was she so afraid to face him like this?

She already knew. Because it _is_ Hiccup.

Ruffnut placed a hand on her friend's shoulder again to get her attention. "You're gonna have to face him sooner or later," she said, offering her confidence. Astrid sighed and straightened her shoulders to seal herself. Astrid was about to just strut in there like all was right with the world, but the voices inside the building they were in front of stopped her again. So she and Ruff just stayed put and listened.

"Hiccup, you heard what I, the officiator, said, 'this union may only be broken in the Halls of Valhalla," Tuffnut said, quoting what he read from the scroll earlier. "So the only way out is for one of you two to die," he said simply.

"Yeah. So with you dead, Astrid will be free to marry someone else intentionally," Snotlout said smirking. They could tell he was only teasing, but it was still obnoxious. Hiccup allowed himself to shoot his disrespectful cousin a sneer. Toothless picked up on his best friend's mood quickly and also gave the rude boy a displeased look. Astrid growled to herself, resisting the urge to go over and shove Snotlout's foot up his own ass. Luckily Hiccup spoke up, the sound of his voice calming her temper a bit.

"Guys enough with the ways around it," Hiccup said as calmly as he could, but still distressed. "Tuff, I know, Viking unions are forever but…" he started to say to the male twin, but cut himself off with a sigh of frustrated despair. Astrid watched as Hiccup sat heavily in a seat at the center table, his elbow on the table top, holding his head. "Astrid…" he moaned to himself, but he was just loud enough for her to hear him. "How can I even look her in the eyes?" he continued.

Hiccup felt horrible. How could he do this to her? His best _human_ friend. Astrid was supposed to grow up and be a shield maiden. Even if she wasn't completely sure if she would or wouldn't change her mind someday and want to settle down with someone, she couldn't make that decision herself anymore, because of him.

Astrid felt horrible as she watched Hiccup from behind the Club House door. Obviously Hiccup was stressing about this as much as she was for the last few hours. He must be thinking about how he was going to tell his father; the chief. How disappointed he would be at how Hiccup irresponsibly let this happen. Although, he might be more mad at Tuffnut for forgetting he could marry people. She knew she was mad at him the most. She knows Hiccup isn't one to point blame at people, even if it really is they're fault, but maybe if she reminded him of that fact, he might be less hard on himself.

But what if he already blamed Tuffnut and he was so upset about something else? What if it was because he was now married _to her_?

He was the son of the chief, slayer of the Red Death, hero of Berk, trainer of dragons. He could have his pick from a number of much more eligible maidens in the archipelago, but not anymore. Now he was stuck with her.

Not only that, Ruffnut described Hiccup earlier as a 'free spirited guy with his head in the clouds.' And she wasn't wrong. Hiccup wanted to explore, map the world, fly passed every horizon until he reached the edge. But now he would have to settle down.

And that was just the tip of the ice burg. What if, after Stoick hears of this, he thinks that now that Hiccup is married, he's ready to be the next chief sooner rather than later. He'll demand Hiccup move back to Berk, with his new wife, to school him in chiefing, and most likely retire before their first anniversary. What would become of Dragon's Edge without them?

How could she do that to him? How could she ground him?

Hiccup didn't know how to face Astrid. Astrid dreaded trying to talk to him even more than before. But that didn't matter for either of them because, without warning, a louder rumble of thunder sounded above the outpost, starling Chicken. The hen noisily leapt right out of Ruffnut's hands and waddled her way into the Club House. Chicken's bawking and flapping wings snapped Hiccup and the other boy's attention to the front door, where they saw Astrid and Ruffnut lurking outside.

Hiccup's eyes immediately locked onto Astrid as she just stood there in the door way, and she stared back. They held the gaze for only a few moments before they both looked away, not sure what to do or say to each other. Ruffnut gave Astrid a nudge from behind her as she walked passed her and into the Club House herself. Astrid hesitated for a second before slowly walking in too.

"Evening everyone!" Ruffnut cheerfully proclaimed to the Club House. "Astrid and I just had a very meaningful talk and now we are ready to celebrate this wonderful event!" she said, walking over to stand behind Hiccup, clamping her hands onto both his shoulders. Hiccup just sits where he is, shocked and a bit uncomfortable. "Right Tuff?" she asked to her brother, assumingly.

It took him a minute to catch up with what his sister was trying to do, so he went along with it. "Oh yes! Wonderful indeed! I'll go break out the honey mead," he clapped his hands before walking into the cave tunnel at the back of the Club House. That was where there food storage was, as well as a small stash of alcohol in case of such an occasion.

"And Fishlegs and I will go get started on dinner for the happy couple," Ruff said as Tuff left the room, walking over to Fishlegs and pulling him towards the kitchen, located through the same entry way at the back of the Club House, but to the left of the cave tunnel.

As they exited, Astrid sat at the table in the middle of the room, surprisingly, she picked the seat next to Hiccup rather than sitting as far away from him as possible. Hiccup sat facing the table, his arms on the wooden surface. Astrid sat the opposite way, her back to the table, keeping her head tilted down to look at the floor and to her left. Away from Hiccup. But Hiccup let himself glance at her for a second, almost wishing she would take pity on him and just glance back at him for a moment. Just so he could see her big, blue eyes.

Toothless stared back and forth between the two, not understanding why they were acting the way they were. For as long as he's known the both of them, they were always so happy to see each other, but now they looked like they have just done something so horrible to the other that they can't even look each other in the eyes.

"They don't look very happy," Snotlout said rudely, leaned back against the left wall, his arms crossed.

Astrid was going to react, tell Snotlout to rip his own tongue out. But Hiccup beat her to the punch. "Snotlout, enough," Hiccup groaned out, annoyed his cousin was still making remarks that were intentionally not helping them deal with their situation.

But Snotlout just couldn't resist stoking the fire.

Snotlout walked away from the wall and approaching the table, right across from Hiccup. "You know I heard not being happy on your wedding day can lead to…" he started to say, but was cut off by Ruff whacking him in the head with two tankards in her left hand. Her right arm holding a stack of plates to her chest.

"Oopsiy," she said innocently before placing the plates on the table. "Hey Snotlout, isn't it your turn for night patrol?" she asked, but not exactly as a direct question.

"No it's…" Snotlout replied, but Ruff cut him off again, whacking him in the head with only one of the tankards she brought in, having switched the second one into her empty right hand a moment earlier.

"Fishlegs, Tuff, and I are working on dinner, and these two," she said sternly, gesturing to the _newlyweds_ across from them. "Are occupied," she said turning back to him. "So you go," she nudged him in the chest with the tankard. Snotlout groaned under his breath before walking out the Club House's front door, off to get Hookfang and patrol the island before dinner. After the annoying lout was gone, Ruff placed the tankards on the table before picking the stack of plates back up and started placing them in front of each seat placement. Hiccup and Astrid spared the female twin a glance, grateful for getting rid of Snotlout but uncertain why she was keeping silent. "Don't mind me. Just settin' the table," she said to them as she continued sitting plates and forks.

Hiccup would have preferred trying to talk to Astrid about this alone, but he had to say something before the tension in the room made it too hard for them to even breathe. "Look Astrid, I think we should…" Hiccup tried to start, but just like with Snotlout, he was cut off by Ruffnut. With just her words this time thou, not a tankard to the head.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," she said as she circled around the table to stand right in front of Hiccup. Astrid lifted her head to watch. "What did you just call her?" she asked, not pleased.

Hiccup didn't know how else to respond. "I just called her…" but Ruff stopped him again, but this time with a finger over his lips. Behind them, Tuffnut came back into the room with a big jug of sweet honey mead cradled in his arms, and walked over to stand behind his sister quietly as she gave Hiccup a good talking to about how to treat his _new wife_.

"Yeah, you're gonna have to lose that 'Astrid' thing. You two are married," Ruff said insistently, glancing over her shoulder to Astrid quick before turning back to Hiccup. "So from now on it's either Honey, Sweetie, Dear, or Snookypie," she counted off on her other hand's fingers. "Got it?"

"Snookypie?" Hiccup asked, a bit muffled by the finger still holding his lips together.

"Much better," she said, removing her finger from his lip and gave his auburn head a pat. "Now pour yourselves some honey mead and relax," she turned around, took the large jug from her brother and practically tossed it into Hiccup's arms.

Hiccup caught it ungracefully at first, but held onto the jug and stood with it to place it on the table. Ruff nudged Tuff back into the kitchen with her, giving the two love birds a bit of privacy to chat.

Hiccup stared down at the jug, his eyes once again glancing back to the girl next to him. They didn't break out alcohol too often on the outpost, and when they did, Hiccup didn't indulge quite so much. But given their current situation… Some could look at it as celebrating, but other times it can be seen as an attempt to steady ones nerves during a troubling time. Deciding a swig or two would do them both a little good, Hiccup uncorked the jug and filled the two closest tankards. After pushing the jug further down the table, Hiccup took a quick drink from his. Astrid watched the tankard leave Hiccup's lips and his wrist whip at his mouth after, then looked at the tankard he filled for her. Having the same idea, Astrid grabbed the second tankard's handle and took a swig herself.

Astrid whipped her mouth quickly before looking back at Hiccup. Swallowing her nerves, along with the mead, Astrid spoke. "So, what's the plan?" she finally asked but still not looking directly at him.

"Well, a storm is coming so we can't fly back to Berk tonight. So we'll head out first thing in the morning," Hiccup said, also not looking directly at her.

Astrid's head snapped up, facing Hiccup properly. "We're going back to Berk?" She asked tentatively. Despite her now being able to speak to Hiccup after what happened, she still dreaded going back home and facing her parents and the rest of the village about it.

"Well yeah," Hiccup replied, looking at Astrid directly now too. "We need to talk to Elvar, Gothi, and my dad. Maybe they can…you know…'do something' about this," he said carefully, not wanting to even say the exact words. "But just them. I don't want this being announced to the village and blown out of proportion before we get a handle on it."

Astrid visually relaxed. "Agreed," she said a bit relieved. But there was still her own parents to concern about. "What about my parents?"

"If you want," Hiccup told her. Mr. and Mrs. Hofferson were just as a part of this as his father, even if he weren't the chief, so they should know. Especially if this is as real as they believe it is. "Although, I fear your father might take my head when he hears I married his only daughter just like that. And without even telling him first," Hiccup tried to joke to lighten the mood. He did succeed, Astrid gave a small, amused chuckle, making Hiccup chuckle, just happy to see Astrid a bit happier.

Hiccup was about to say something else to further reassure her that this would work out, but Fishlegs burst in from the kitchen.

"Hiccup, I just realized something!" the larger rider hollered. Hiccup and Astrid's attention went straight to him at the back of the room. The twins also walked in. "When someone trains to be a union officiator, they earn a special form to prove they are certified."

"You mean like a certificate?" Hiccup asked.

"Exactly," Fishlegs replied. "If Tuff really is certified to perform union ceremonies, then he must have a certificate from his mentor," he said, gesturing to Tuffnut, who was now poring himself his own tankard of mead.

"Tuff, do you have an officiator's certificate from Elvar?" Hiccup asked the male twin.

Tuff stopped pouring, looking up at the ceiling in thought. "Uh… I don't know," he shrugged. "I mean I don't remember packing it with me when we moved out here," he said, putting the jug back on the table.

"Yeah, I would have noticed if we had that in our hut," Ruff added, walking over to her brother to get the jug and started pouring it into more tankards.

"Okay this is good," Hiccup's tone brightened as he stood up from the table. "Slight change of plans, gang," he announced to everyone in the Club House "When we get back to Berk, the first thing we do is go to the twin's house and look for Tuff's certificate. If we don't find it, then there's nothing to worry about," he said the last part directing at Astrid, and she kept her eyes on him the whole time.

She dreaded asking, but it had to be said. "And if we do find it?"

Hiccup sat back in his chair to be at eye level with her again before answering. "We'll cross that bridge if we come to it," Hiccup said bravely, but knew what that discovery meant for them. "And we'll still talk to Elvar, Gothi, my dad, and your parents to see if they can do anything," he reassured her, taking her hand in her lap and gave it a subtle, but comforting squeeze.

Astrid was taken a bit aback by this act, but it was comforting all the same. Astrid looked back into Hiccup's eyes, and he did hers,' squeezing his hand back and offering him a grateful grin.

"Of course they can do something!" Ruffnut shouted happily from the other side of the room, breaking their moment. "Stoick will have the whole tribe build you guys a new hut, bigger than any hut that's even been built on the island, ever!" she proclaimed, a bit over the top.

"He'll build you guys a castle!" Tuffnut chimed in. "With dragon stables, a full deluxe kitchen, an indoor bathroom," he listed off excitedly. "… an indoor boar pit!" he shouted twice as excited.

"And you guys can move in after Berk's big party to celebrate your beautiful marriage," Ruff added with a sparkle in her eye.

Fishlegs just stood where he had been, listening uncomfortably to all the twin's statements, feeling that it is not how they should be treating this. And Hiccup and Astrid were not too far off from him.

Astrid remembered what Ruffnut told her back in her hut. That she and Tuff would try and 'help' them in dealing with being just married.

While Tuff continued babbling about how Berk would celebrate the union and bragging that he would be praised for bringing them together to Fishlegs, Ruff snuck over to the over side of the table and spoke a bit quieter to the two. "Guys, I'm gonna be honest with you," she said honestly, Hiccup and Astrid gave her their surprised, but undivided attention. "Tuff has the memory of a cod. He did take a course with Berk's officiator, and I'm not saying he did earn his certificate for a fact. Even I can't recall if he did indeed complete his training and is certified. All I'm saying is maybe he doesn't have a certificate, and maybe this 'marriage'," she used air quotes. "isn't even real. But I also want you guys to get the possibility that if he really is certified like we think, then there is nothing you guys can do but embrace this union for what it's worth," she said, trying to reassure them in a less loud and pushy way. Hiccup and Astrid were shocked by her statement, but they both took it in, remembering to consider those words for later on. But Ruff's less hyped attitude didn't last long, because not two seconds later, she grabbed three of the other full tankards from the table and walked back to the back of the room. Being offered it, Tuffnut took one of the tankards happily, and Ruff shoved the other into Fishlegs' hands. "To the newlyweds!" she cheered enthusiastically, gestured her tankard to the heir and his new wife, raising it high.

"Newlyweds!" Tuffnut did the same, and just as enthusiastic.

With their tankards still raised, Ruff and Tuff, one of them standing on both sides of Fishlegs, glanced at him before nudging him in on his sides at the same time, urging him to be a part of this.

"Newlyweds," Fishlegs quietly said, raising his tankard with a timid smile. Ruff and Tuff clanked their tankards to his in the middle before drinking merrily. Fishlegs just took a small sip from his.

* * *

 **Thank U all so much for the reviews! I've never gotten that many reviews for one story that fast! I am so excited to continue this!**

 **Big thank U to Monkey D. Conan for your PM. I used the things u suggested as an outline for Astrid and Ruffnut's private conversation. My original idea for the beginning of the chapter was going to just be everyone in the Club House after the 'wedding', talking over the plan. But your suggestion gave me a different way of it, and I changed my mind. I didn't go with exactly everything u put down, but I used some points, and it was really helpful having them down when I was writing there conversation. So thank U so much and I hope U liked the chapter.**

 **Like I said, the next chapter is mostly done, so I hope I can finish it very soon and post it. But I make no promises I can't keep.**

 **Thank U all again, hope you're enjoying. Bye for now ;) And Happy Halloween!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I CAN EXPLAIN! Something wonky happened with my laptop last month and I lost all of my documents, including this chapter when it was almost done. I was SO frustrated and upset, but I pulled myself together and re-typed it. I tried my best to include what I remembered putting in it the first time (specific lines and other things) but I did add some things I didn't have and I think made it a bit better, and kept a few things out that I either couldn't remember or thought the chapter could do without.**

 **Again, sorry for making u guys wait 2 months.**

 **I hope u enjoy, this chapter has a bit more _spice_ to it.**

* * *

Snotlout returned from a quick patrol in time for dinner. With the storm coming in, the Night Terrors would watch over the island tonight. The little nocturnal dragons were a bit better in storms then their dragons. Even if they weren't, they doubted any of their enemies would try to sneak up on them tonight anyway. Not in this weather.

The Jorgenson lad didn't make any more spouts about the _newlyweds_ across the table from him throughout the whole meal. Although he didn't partake it any of the toasts that the twins gave. And they gave several. Instead he just ate and drank his mead, quietly but with a grumpy pout. Maybe it was the looks from Ruffnut were what was keeping him quiet. Astrid was grateful for that. She didn't have it in her to scold Snotlout herself at the moment. All she could think about was what awaited her back on Berk after it knew of her accidental betrothal to it's heir. Would they be appalled? Would they rejoice and celebrate like the twins were forcing on them? And, if it was as real as they believe it is, can it be undone?

And then Astrid asked herself, after a quick glance to the auburn haired Viking beside her;

Do I want it undone?

Hiccup was much the same. He worried over them going back to Berk, where they may or may not find Tuffnut's union officiator's certificate, and the possible conversation that he and Astrid may or may not have with his father, Astrid's parents, Elvar, and Gothi. And now that he thought of it, if Gothi was going to be there, they would also need Gobber there to translate what she wrote in the dirt to speak.

Great, the heir thought. Out of everyone who will be there, Gobber will have the biggest field day after hearing this news. He might even start plans for that castle for them Tuff mentioned earlier, and then head the construction.

After dinner, Snotlout and Fishlegs cleared the table. Ruffnut had said they should do it, as well as all the dishes because she and Tuffnut had surprisingly volunteered to go out in the middle of the meal to feed all their dragons out in the stables. And she also insisted that Hiccup and Astrid shouldn't be doing any work on their wedding night.

Ruffnut stood on an end of the room, supervising Snotlout and Fishlegs as they carried all the dishes back into the kitchen. Chicken stood on top of a barrel next to her as her eyes shifted from the kitchen entry way to the other female Viking still sitting at the table holding her tankard.

Hiccup stood by the door, torn between leaving for the night and trying to talk to Astrid again. He really did want them to talk, but not in here. Ruffnut was still right there, he knew Snotlout and Fishlegs were going to be there for a bit longer to do the dishes. But Tuffnut wasn't back yet. About halfway through dinner, the twins volunteered to go out to the stables and feed the dragons. A few minutes later, Ruff came back by herself, telling the rest of them that Tuff was still in the stables, hanging out with Barf and Belch because he missed them all day. It was a weird excuse, but Tuff was a weird guy, so they all let it be and went back to the meal.

But Tuff still wasn't back yet. He had to come back sometime, because Chicken was still in there. He always tucks Chicken in.

Sighing, Hiccup decided to try Astrid later. Maybe tomorrow morning either before breakfast or before they left for Berk. Hiccup looked at Astrid, her back to him, still sitting at the table, her full focus on her nearly empty tankard in her hands on the table in front of her. She clearly didn't want to talk to him right now.

Hiccup turned, stepping out of the Club House, heading to his right instead of left (left being the direction of his hut), only to bump into Tuffnut just outside the door.

"Hiccup, where are you going?" the male twin asked his leader.

Still recovering from the shock of their run-in, Hiccup replied, "to the stables to get Toothless." Toothless always slept in Hiccup's hut with him. Although the Night Fury ate most meals in the stables with the other dragons, he pretty much did everything else with his beloved rider.

Hiccup moved to step aside of his dreadlocked friend to pass him, but Tuff stepped with him, blocking his path. "Actually you can't," he said rather quickly. Hiccup raised his brow in confusion and concern. "Because, Toothless just seemed happy to just hang with our dragons for a while, so I think you should just let him take his time," Tuff explained coolly as he draped an arm around Hiccup's shoulders, turning him around and walking him past the Club House, towards the bridge that lead to Snotlout's hut. Passed that, Hiccup's hut. "Just go back to your hut and wait up for him, but leave your door opened for him," he kindly suggested, standing with Hiccup at the edge of the platform to the bridge.

Hiccup thought what the male twin just told him was a bit strange, but accepted it. "Oh, okay," he said with a shrug. If Toothless wanted a little more time to be with the other dragons, he had no problem with it. They couldn't go for their usual night flight with the storm coming in anyway. He could leave his door opened for him and wait for him to come back, at least until the rain started. He wasn't planning on going to bed right away either. Too much on his mind. "Goodnight, Tuff," he said before walking down the bridge towards his hut.

"Night H," Tuffnut called to him with a friendly wave.

* * *

Back in the Club House, Ruffnut continued to watch Astrid, who was still at the table, staring down into her tankard with less than a swallow of mead left.

The young Hofferson women – make that _Haddock_ women – was at a loss. She didn't know what she wanted to do other than just sit where she was. She didn't feel tired, nor did she think she could get to sleep even if she were. She would go for a night flight on Stormfly, but all of their dragons were grounded with the storm approaching. Flying always helped her relax and think when something was bothering her. Hiccup does the same. Another thing they had in common.

Maybe she was freaking out about nothing. Maybe the marriage wasn't even real like Ruff reminded her and Hiccup. And maybe that wasn't the only reason she didn't need to freak out.

She knew Hiccup. She liked Hiccup… _a lot_. Maybe this could be good. She was basically his second in command back at the Academy and here. They work really well with each other. That's what a Lady Chief was for the Chief, right? She was definitely attracted to him, and she could tell he was attracted to her. And like Ruff said, they care about each other.

Sure this may have happened too soon for them and was very sudden, but with enough time, she could spend that time with Hiccup and she could be happy. They could be happy.

"Are you gonna drink that, or just stare at it like it's gonna give you the answers to all your questions?" Astrid heard a rough voice from beside her. So lost in thought, she didn't even notice Ruffnut had sat right next to her.

Astrid looked to the other female Viking, giving her a look of newfound clarity. "I feel like I should go talk to him," she admitted.

"Then go," Ruff insisted. "You and I already had our little heart-to-heart on this, now you two have to clear the air with yourselves before you face your families with this."

Taking another sigh, Astrid finally lifted her tankard and drank the last of her mead before standing up with Ruffnut and leaving the Club House. Determined to talk it out with Hiccup and make how she feels clear.

* * *

Astrid walked the bridge passed Snotlout's hut and climbed the stairs up to the platform of Hiccups', Ruffnut trailing right behind her. The clouds had gathered by a lot more since they left Astrid's hut earlier. The sky was dark with it being after sunset, but they could tell the clouds were stormy and ready to unleash any minute. A rumble of thunder sounded from above their heads as Astrid and Ruff approached their leader's dwelling. The door was wide open, light pouring out and onto the dark porch.

"Are you gonna go in, because I think it's gonna start raining," Ruffnut said from behind her, rather loudly. Astrid really didn't want Hiccup to hear them and come out to see who was sneaking around outside his hut. She would not be caught sneaking. She wasn't sneaking, she was standing outside Hiccup's hut with the intention of going in to see him. But she was hesitating. And that was worse than him catching her sneaking.

It's just Hiccup, she said to herself. With a determined huff, Astrid stepped into Hiccup's doorway.

Inside, Hiccup had just started a fire in his little hearth in the middle of his front room floor. Usually Toothless started all his fires for him with a single blast, but the Night Fury was still in the stables, and with the storm coming for their island it's sure to be cold.

Astrid watched as Hiccup smacked his hands together, dusty them off from the wood he just threw onto the fire, his back to her. She wanted to say something, make her presence known because she was standing right in his doorway and he didn't know it. But again, she was drawing a blank. What was she supposed to say? 'Good Evening,' 'Can I come in?,' 'Hey Hiccup, wanna honeymoon on Fireworm Island?' Astrid groaned at herself for her hesitation again. But she didn't have to scold herself for long, because as soon as Hiccup's hands were clean, he turned around and his eyes were immediately drawn to the blonde young woman in his doorway.

"Astrid," Hiccup said, surprised to see her at his door. "Uh…g-good evening," he stuttered as he rubbed the back of his neck. He really didn't think she wanted to see him for the rest of the night, but evidently he was wrong. Unless she was here to kill him.

"Evening," she replied, trying to smile as kindly as she could muster. It wasn't that she wasn't happy to see him, but she was nervous. They were _married_ now and she still wasn't completely sure how to express her feelings as she was meaning to. But she had to try. That's why she was here.

Hiccup allowed his eyes to wonder his hut for a moment, not sure of what to say. "Do you need something?" he decided to ask, although he did mean it. Wife or not, Hiccup would always care for Astrid.

"Yes, I need…" Astrid started to say but stopped, not liking her wording. "I mean, we need," she tried again but stopped herself. Hiccup stared at her the whole time, listening patiently, ready to hear what she had to say. After groaning to herself, Astrid took a breath and spoke clearly and confidently. "We need to talk."

Hiccup sighed through his nose, knowing she was right. "Yeah, we do."

Astrid stepped forward, but the moment she was completely inside, Hiccup's door dropped down, slamming shut behind her. "What the hell?!" she shrieked. Hiccup was startled too. He built the door himself, it didn't shut on it's own like that. The heir ran to the door, grabbed ahold of the bar at the bottom to left it, but it did not move. Astrid grabbed the bar too and tried to pull it up with him, but it was still stuck. "It won't budge," Astrid huffed, letting go of the door.

Hiccup let go too, a bit tiered from trying. As the two tried to catch their breaths, they could make out the sounds of laughing, skin smacking skin (like high-fives), metal banging metal (like helmets clanking), and hoots of triumphant and maniacal cheer.

Yup, definitely the twins.

"Ruff? Tuff? What is this?! What did you guys do?!" Hiccup yelled to the door.

"We may or may not have jammed the gears in your door so it only opens and closes from the outside," they heard Tuffnut's muffled voice say from the other side.

Hiccup was flabbergasted. "What?! Why would you do that?"

"So you guys can enjoy your wedding night without any interruptions," Ruffnut's muffled voice said from outside.

"And you thought locking us in Hiccup's hut was the best idea?" Astrid asked, also shocked the twins would do something this extreme. She had a hunch they would try something. Just not this.

"Well it is customary for the bride to move into the groom's home afterwards, so it made the most sense," Tuff told them through the door, trying to sound like he was an expert on Viking unions. The two Vikings inside the hut both rolled their eyes.

"And this way, neither of you can bail out," Ruff added.

Hiccup sighed, thinking about what to do, but his full attention quickly went to the female Viking still beside him. Astrid gave a growl and pounded on the door, then kicked it. She was frustrated. Both with herself for her own uncertainty and with the twins for locking her in with Hiccup, taking away her one 'escape route' if she found she really couldn't talk to him after all. "Astrid, its okay," Hiccup said, placing a hand on her arm, trying to calm her. Astrid looked at him, his calm and caring face, looking her over with his big, sweet emerald eyes. Her eyes followed him as he stepped away from the door. "Just let me get my tools and I can fix the…" Hiccup started to say as he approached a crate on the other side of his front room, where he kept his work and inventing tools, only to look in and see the crate empty. "What the… where are my…" Hiccup cut himself off, hearing the twins laughing again, along with what sounded like metal objects clanking inside a box.

"Hiccup, we may be muttonheads," Tuffnut said as Hiccup walked back to the door, the male twin holding a box in both hands filling with every tool and weapon Hiccup kept in his hut. "But we always plan our pranks and schemes thoroughly," he smirked as he gave the box another shake, making sure the two inside could hear the clanking.

All of them were quiet for a moment as Hiccup stepped back from the door to think to himself. Astrid did the same, but with her forehead against the thin metal of the door. But the moment ended when Ruffnut remembered something important for them to know. "And before you try to give a Night Fury call for help, you should know Toothless is a bit 'out of it' at the moment."

"Same for Stormfly," Tuffnut added.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Astrid said, dumbfounded and annoyed.

"We may have stuffed their fish with dragon nip this evening during dinner, then locked them in their pens with more dragon nip to keep them calm and asleep," Ruffnut said, proud and trying not to laugh too much. They could hear Tuffnut snickering mildly with amusement as his sister spoke.

So that was why they were so eager to give the dragons dinner this evening. So they could sedate their dragons, making them incapable to come to their aid and blast them out. And when Ruffnut came back to dinner by herself and said her brother was hanging out with Barf and Belch in the stables, Tuffnut actually came in here to sabotage his door and take all his tools so Hiccup couldn't get them out himself. Then the male twins told him to keep his door open for Toothless so he wouldn't try to close it from the inside and see there was something wrong with it before Astrid came to see him. And when she did, Ruff was there with her, and Tuff was most likely hiding around a corner of his hut, watching and waiting to jump in and help his sister close the door behind her, trapping the both of them in.

But then another thought struck the young heir. "Wait a minute, how did you guys know the mechanics of my door well enough to do this?"

"Fishlegs," they both answered simply.

Hiccup groaned, smacking his hand to his forehead. Of course. He designed and built every feature of his own hut, but Fishlegs helped him with some of his calculations and measurements with his design. If the twins cornered him, he highly doubted the larger Viking teen would last long before eventually telling them what they needed to know to pull this off.

Hiccup was once again snapped out of his thought process by Astrid giving an angry growl before banging on the door again. "Guys! This isn't funny, open the door!" she yelled to the two on the other side.

"As fun as this is for us, our intentions are completely serious," Ruffnut said, her tone sounding actually serious. Astrid cooled her temper for a minute to listen along with Hiccup. "You guys need to talk and sort out your feelings and it would be best if you were alone with as little distractions as possible. You need to know where you both stand in this before you tell your parents tomorrow," she said strongly. Both Vikings inside the hut were shocked. Normally their female twin friend wasn't this insightful or showed this much maturity. True, this plan was pretty crazy, but that was just who she and her brother were; sudden bout of maturity or no.

"Plus, it's your wedding night," Tuffnut butted in. "If you don't at least spend the night together, that could bring bad luck from Freya," he said, again, sounding like he was an expert, when really he didn't even know he could perform unions until just earlier that day.

"Don't worry about a thing. We'll come get you guys in the morning for breakfast and then we can all leave for Berk," Ruff reassured them. As she spoke, a rumble of thunder sounded above their heads and they could start to feel a faint spray of a drizzle on their faces. The storm was coming in fast, and if they didn't want to get soaked, they would have to leave for their own hut.

"You two have a nice evening," Tuffnut said kindly as he turned and started walking away, the box of Hiccup's tools he stole still in his grasp.

"And remember; 'embrace this for what it's worth,'" Ruffnut said, emphasizing the phrase she said earlier back in the Club House for them, hoping this plan was crazy enough to work. And with that, she walked away too, following her brother back towards their hut.

Back in Hiccup's hut, Hiccup held his ear against the door, listening as the rain started to pick up, hitting his platform porch and his roof, along with a few more rumbles of thunder. But there were no more voices or even the sound of breathing.

"Guys?" Hiccup asked through the door, but there was no response from outside. The twins must have left to get out of the weather before it got too bad. After taking a step back from the door, Hiccup glanced to his left, expecting to see Astrid still standing there, glaring at the door, but she wasn't. Hiccup turned around completely and saw as the blonde women he was trapped in his own hut with, walk up to his hearth and sit down in front of the warm fire. Hugging her legs up to her chest, her back to him. "Astrid?" he asked curiously, taking another step closer.

Releasing one of her arms from around her legs, Astrid turned where she sat, looking back at her leader, now husband. Her face stoic. "I came here to talk to you. That at least wasn't just a part of their plan. We're stuck in here until morning, so lets talk," she said calmly, but also with a sense of urgency. Another rumble of thunder vibrated off the roof, the wind picked up and blasted against the hut. Astrid hugged her legs with both arms again. "Besides, even if we could get the door opened, I'd rather not walk back to my hut in this weather," she said, still loud enough for him to hear.

Hiccup walked away from the door and sat in front of the hearth as well, to Astrid's right. Everything was quiet, save for the brisk whistling of the winds outside and the crackling of the fire. A minute later, Hiccup chanced a glance to the Viking women to his left. Astrid's eyes remained focused on the fire, the light reflecting into them, mixing in a beautiful blend of sapphire and orange glow. Her skin also a blaze with a golden glow, so breath-taking Hiccup never wanted to look away.

She was so beautiful.

It was a fact that Astrid was always beautiful. And smart, brave, strong, kind, and passionate. Everything he could ever hope for in someone he would want to spend the rest of his life with. In that moment, the words of his cousin from earlier that day rang through his brain; She was his wife now. He should be happy.

But how could he be happy if Astrid was not? By the light of the fire, her expression did not look happy. But she did look cold.

Hiccup was brought back to reality when he saw Astrid give a mighty shiver.

"Are you warm enough?" he asked with concern. Before he got an answer, the lad was already up off the floor and headed up the stairs to his loft. Up against his wall by his bed was a chest where he stored extra warm clothes and blankets for the colder times. Hiccup pulled one of the blankets out and went back down stairs.

When Hiccup made it off the last step, he lifted his head and watched Astrid, up on her feet, laying down a large bear skin pelt on the floor in front of him, on the right side of the hut, by the fire. The wind outside was too cold to sit on the side closest to the door.

Astrid smoothed out the pelt before sitting down on in, once again hugging her knees up to her chest, keeping her gaze on the fire in front of her. Hiccup forgot he kept that old pelt downstairs in another trunk.

Hiccup walked around the fire and sat down on the pelt to her right again, the door to his right. Astrid had still not looked at him since she last spoke. She kept her eyes on the fire. She wanted to say something. Say what she wanted and what Hiccup needed to understand, but she wasn't sure how to begin.

Her calm expression shifted to one of surprise when she felt a blanket being draped over her shoulders. Astrid turned her head to see Hiccup placing the warm blanket over her before quickly taking his hands away, then also turned his head and held his gaze with the fire.

Astrid smiled as she pulled the blanket snugger to herself. "Thanks," she said softy, keeping her head turned towards him.

Hiccup smiled too. "Anything for you milady," he said, happy she was in a relatively better mood.

"That wasn't on Ruff's list," Astrid said teasingly.

"Would you prefer Snookypie?" he teased back, turning most of his body back to her. He chuckled as Astrid chuckled with him.

"I like milady. I remember when you first started calling me that," she said fondly, remembering back to almost four years ago. But then her expression changed again. "It actually feels like a long time since you last called me that," she said less cheerful, turning her head down a bit in thought.

Hiccup looked at her fallen expression. He knew he had to say something, and there was no sense in beating around the bush.

"Astrid, I-I'm so sorry," he said desperately, rubbing a hand over his face. "I know this wasn't supposed to happen, and I know you understand that but…"

And Hiccup's rambling was silenced instantly by Astrid's lips on his.

Hiccup's eyes widened as Astrid lightly pressed her lips on his, her hand up on his right shoulder to hold him in place. She had leaned in just enough to kiss him, but still kept the blanket where Hiccup placed it over her.

Hiccup was shocked to say the least. He thought anything like this would be the last thing Astrid would ever do to him. He thought she would be furious and resent him for taking away her freedom. But she's kissing him.

Just as Hiccup started to accept this and kiss back, Astrid pulled away. But her hand stayed on his shoulder as she looked at him. And Hiccup looked back at her, her face genuine.

"I don't want you to apologize," she said softly.

Hiccup was confused. "But Astrid, I…now you have to-" he stuttered but Astrid stopped him again.

"Shhh," she hushed him, taking the hand on his shoulder off to place a finger to his lips. "I know this wasn't supposed to happen, but at the same time I think it was," she said, taking her hand away. Hiccup looked at her even more puzzled. "Every time I tried to picture myself a few years from now, you were always there beside me. I didn't think we would be married, but… I guess I wouldn't have minded if we…" she stopped herself, thinking her words better, but honest. "If we reached that."

Hiccup saw the honesty in her words threw her eyes. So who was he to not do the same? "Astrid, I've wanted nothing more than for you to be with me. But not because we had to be," he confessed, taking her hand that she had taken back. "I want to be with you Astrid," he said into her eyes. Astrid looked back, breathing in his every word. "Do you want to be with me?"

His question echoed in her ears for several seconds, but when they were up, she found the only reply she wanted to give him was through lifting herself up from where she sat, turning towards him, and kneeling right in front of him with his thighs in between her knees. Her mouth crashing to his.

The sudden move startled the young heir for only a second, but after he understood that this was indeed what Astrid wanted, he accepted he wanted it too, and he allowed himself to take it.

With _pleasure_.

Hiccup's eyes closed with bless as Astrid leaned further into him, kissing him deeper. One of her hands rested on his shoulder while the other gripped the back of his neck. Hiccup kissed her back with equal passion, bringing his hands up to caress her back.

Astrid pulled harder on Hiccup's neck, forcing the kiss deeper as she parted her lips, her tongue pocking out to be let in. When he felt this, Hiccup opened up for her and let her tongue explore his mouth. Drunk with the lustful high he was receiving, Hiccup's tongue responded in kind, wanting to taste her too. Astrid moaned at Hiccup's reply.

Hiccup was just thinking about falling to lie on his back for her, when he felt Astrid pull her hands from him and went down to the buckle of her own skirt.

Seeing this and knowing where she might be heading, Hiccup's senses flipped on the breaks. "Wh-what are you…" he stuttered after pulling away, trying to catch his breath.

Astrid merely chuckled, smiling down on him. "I always take this off at night. Gets uncomfortable in bed," she explained calmly. Hiccup relaxed a bit more, but his eyes were drawn down to her skirt as she undid it and tugged it off before heaving the spiky thing away from the pelt. "And these," she said as she started removing her shoulder pads. Hiccup watched her take them off too, trying really hard to not let his eyes wonder back down to where her skirt was. Her leggings that started at her waist and went all the way down her legs before disappearing into her boots. After getting rid of the big metal pads, the blonde women simply smiled down on Hiccup, placing her hands on his leather clad chest. "Don't you want to take all this off?" she said, swiping her hands over his torso.

"Are you gesturing to all of what I'm wearing or just my riding gear?" he said, smirking like a goof. Astrid laughed before giving him a solid punch to his shoulder.

"You're a dork, you know that?" she said, still chuckling.

"Yes, but I'm your dork," he said fondly, still looking at her.

The two simply stared at each other for a minute, lost in the after bless from their make out session, before Hiccup sat up a bit straighter then started unfastened the buckles of his suit.

"Let me help you," Astrid insisted, starting to undo a buckle as Hiccup worked on another.

Hiccup did sometimes take off his riding gear when he went to bed if the night was a little too hot or he assumed the night was going to be quiet, without the chance he would have to jump out of bed and into Toothless' saddle for any reason. He was able to sleep in them if he had to, but having them off was better. Besides, he welcomed having one less barrier between him and Astrid's amazing touch.

When his riding gear was gone, leaving only his red tunic on his torso, Astrid's hands went back to his chest, feeling the soft material there, down to his stomach, up to his shoulders and down his arms, then up again to his neck. One hand stayed at his neck while she stroked her other hand higher, caressing his check. Hiccup closed his eyes for a moment as he leaned his face into her touch, soaking up the feeling.

Astrid leaned herself in again, kissing him slower than last time, but just as deep; if not, more so. Feeling bolder, Hiccup, his hands resuming in stroking her back as they kissed, let them tread a bit lower to feel the curve of her bottom. Astrid's reaction was what he hoped for. She seemed surprised by a little sound she made into his mouth, but it quickly turned into another moan as the touch he gave it became a squeeze.

Driven by his desire, Hiccup turned his body to his left and flipped them over. Their mouths separated for only a second as Astrid's back hit the pelt, but Hiccup captured it once again after a quick breath. Astrid was again surprised by Hiccup's actions. She didn't expect him to be this aggressive their first time being so bold. But as Hiccup hovered above her, stroking her hip with one hand and held himself up with the other, she didn't care about being wrong one bit.

Astrid wrapped her arms around his neck, carding Hiccup's soft auburn hair in between her fingers as he lips moved from her lips to her cheeks, giving them gentle kisses, then moved to her neck. Astrid gasped as his wet lips pressed to her pulse point. She even felt what she could only assume was his tongue darting out and tasting that same spot.

She knew what this might lead to if she jumped into Hiccup's lap and started kissing him. She came here with the intention of talking this out and maybe, if it felt right in the moment, she would physically show him how she saw him. And after seeing him, being alone in his hut with him, him being so sweet and understanding and goofy, it felt more right than anything else. Still, this could lead further, and she wasn't ready for that. Not tonight.

"H-Hiccup," Astrid gasped out his name, both from the pleasure of his lips lightly sucking on the skin of her neck and to get his attention. But Hiccup took it as only the first one and continued. "Hiccup," she forced herself to say more clearly. Hiccup understood this time and stopped.

"What?" he asked, half-dazed as he pulled his face away from her neck, looking down at the girl who he just accidently married earlier that day. The two breathed heavily, feeling the breath of the other on their own faces. After a few seconds of nothing but their breathing, Hiccup took it as a bad thing that Astrid told him to stop. "Did-did I do something? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have flipped…" he babbled, moving to get off of her, but Astrid kept her hands on his neck and pulled him back down to her.

"No, no Hiccup. I'm fine. This is fine. It's more than fine actually," she reassured him, smiling up at him, still stroking his hair. Hiccup smiled back, glad he was mistaken and listen as she continued talking. "But that's actually what I wanted to say. This is fine. But just this. I mean, I know it's our… wedding night, I just don't think we should…" she said somewhat awkwardly. Uncomfortable and scared to say the exact words. Hiccup's eyes widened comically as he realized what she meant.

It was their _wedding night_ , and they were starting to get physical…

"Oh gods, Astrid of course. I would never…" Hiccup said, trailing his words off like her. Hiccup looked back at her, straight into her eyes. "It's just like Ruff said, Tuff might not have really married us so… we shouldn't…" he stuttered, also not comfortable using the exact words. "at least until we're sure if this is real," he added.

Astrid just stared up at the young man above her before pushing herself up a bit to lean back on her elbows. Hiccup pulled back a bit from her but remained fairly as close to her face as he was a second ago. "The marriage might not be real Hiccup, but…" she said but stopped her sentence on her own. Astrid pushed herself up a bit more, lifting one of her arms up to hold Hiccup's neck again and pulled him to her, giving him a tender kiss. She pulled away a few seconds later, but kept their lips barley an inch apart. "Feel that? That's real," she whispered.

Hiccup was consumed with desire again, but more touched then anything. Hiccup leaned in and caught her lips again. Astrid pushed his shoulders a bit and Hiccup let her turn them back to their original position; Hiccup sitting on the fluffy pelt and Astrid in his lap. But now that her spiked skirt was gone, she let herself full straddle his lap.

Curious on how Hiccup would react, Astrid went from kissing his lips to kissing up his jaw then along his neck. Hiccup moaned as her soft lips blessed the skin by his pulse.

Without a doubt, Astrid was a Valkyrie. His Valkyrie, here to take him to Valhalla with her kisses and amazing touch.

Married or not, she had to know how he felt. He wanted her too.

"Astrid," he gasped. Astrid's lips slowed down in kissing his pulse but kept her face where it was. "I-I… love you," he stuttered a bit. Astrid went ridged for a second before pulling her face away to look Hiccup in the eyes. "I love you," he repeated while he looked at her properly. "And if we really are married, I promise to honor you, protect you, and let you be free. I never want to take anything away from you that makes you happy," he vowed. Hiccup brought a hand up to cup her check as he stared into her eyes. "All I want is for you to be happy."

They were silent for a few moments as Astrid took everything Hiccup just said in. He loved her. And he wanted her to know. She did have strong feelings for him, and desired to be with him greatly in pretty much every sense of the phrase.

But could she say it back? Love was such a strong word. And she wanted to be sure, like Hiccup. Hiccup would never say something like that unless he really meant it. In that moment, she wished she was as sure of herself as Hiccup was.

Nevertheless, he deserved the same honesty from her.

Astrid smiled back at him, bringing her own hand up and covered his hand still on her cheek. "Hiccup, you already make me happy," she said, letting the two hands slide off her cheek. "You also make me confused, frustrated, and annoyed," she listed. "Like, really annoyed," she groaned a bit. Hiccup's head hung a bit, feeling a blow to his ego. Astrid put her hand to his chin, tilting his head back up to look her in the eyes again. "But, if I had to be in this situation with anyone, I'm glad it's you," she said with an honest smile. "I… I really like you, a lot," she stuttered, rethinking her words, but she wanted Hiccup to know how she felt honestly. He deserved to know.

Hiccup's face fell for a moment after not hearing her say the same as he did. But he decided that that was okay. He didn't completely expect for her to say it back. If she wasn't ready to say it, he didn't want to push her. Besides, he didn't want her to say it to him if she didn't truly mean it.

She really liked him, and she liked kissing him. And that was plenty enough for him at the moment. So he would leave it alone. At least until she was ready to say it back.

Hiccup smiled at her before kissing the corner of her mouth. "We'll take this slow and figure it out together," he said to her.

Astrid took a relaxed sigh and let herself smile back, relieved that he was not upset. "Deal," she agreed. Astrid leaned up and kissed his forehead tenderly before letting a yawn pass her throat.

"You tired?" Hiccup asked her. "You can take my bed tonight. I'll just sleep down here," he offered.

Astrid looked at him with a teasing smirk. "What? And hog that fire all to yourself?" she said, gesturing to the fire over her shoulder.

Without another word, Astrid crawled off Hiccup's lap, pushing him down to lie flat on his back on the pelt while she grabbed the blanket Hiccup got for her earlier. Astrid lied down, cuddling into Hiccup's side and pulled the blanket over the both of them.

Yeah, this was good enough for now. Perfect even. She didn't need to say she loved him. He was happy merely being with her. And she was happy too.

Hiccup curled his arm around her back, holding her close, her head resting on his firm chest.

If they were married, he knew they could live with this and make it work for them together. Now they just have to tell their families and perhaps the rest of Berk. But they can worry about that tomorrow. For now, they can let the storm blow outside and sleep in each other's warm embrace.

* * *

 **Hope to post the next chapter sooner then I have been adding them.**

 **Happy New Year!**


	4. Chapter 4

**6 months. That's how long I've kept u guys waiting. I am so incredibly sorry. Things for me have been not so great this first half of 2017. My college semester was pretty bad, I had an unexpected death in my family, and my boyfriend is moving out of state. And he is being a really inconsiderate ass about it. So finding the motivation to write was hard to do.** **Not to mention it felt like centuries.** **Not that I didn't enjoy writing this when I was on a roll. That felt great.**

 **But enough on the downers.**

 **This chapter has more references to the original episode 'Snotlout Gets the Axe' and Hiccsrid _spice_ like the last chapter.**

* * *

True to their word, the twins came back to Hiccup's hut the next morning and let the newlyweds out just in time for breakfast. It was still fairly cloudy, but the sun was shining in beautifully from the cracks and would most likely clear up more and more as the day progressed. Which meant smooth flying for their trip back to Berk.

Astrid wanted to chop the two Thorsten's heads off for tricking her. But after the night she had with Hiccup, she couldn't be too mad. And they really did mean well by it. So they got off with only a few good smacks to the head, after taking their helmets.

Fishlegs apologized for his small hand in helping the terrible two in their little scheme. He did know what the information he was giving them about their leader's door was going to be used for, but they told him to keep his mouth shut _or else_. So he was forgiven.

Snotlout was the only one who knew nothing of the twins plan from the other night. When he heard about it at breakfast, he was not pleased. His irritation showed, as well as his jealousy, but seeing as they were officially married and there was nothing he could do to change it, all he could do was complain and grunt. As was his specialty. But he tried to comfort himself by saying that they were _just_ married and it didn't mean that Astrid really wanted to be with Hiccup. She was only with his cousin because they _had_ to, by Viking law of unions, and she wasn't happy about it. He continuously said this to himself and out loud throughout the morning as they finished their breakfast and packed their saddles.

While it annoyed Astrid to no end and she wanted to knock his Jorgenson head into the ground so all his stupid rambles would be muffled by his mouth full of dirt, she felt her time was better spent packing Stormfly's saddle bag right next to Hiccup packing Toothless', telling him to just ignore his obnoxious cousin and keep packing so they could leave. Although, the newly wed young woman did feel compelled to shout a threat or two in the Jorgenson's direction if he went a little too far.

Hiccup appreciated Astrid's come backs to his cousin without any physically violence and of course her words to him that Snotlout was totally wrong.

He admitted he loved her, but even though she didn't say it back, she did say she liked him a lot and that he made her happy. And her kisses from the other night made him feel that much more sure that she did want to be with him. Married or not, he could wait for her to say it.

But Astrid couldn't.

As the group flew in V-formation, finally on their way back to Berk, Astrid's eyes continuously turned to Hiccup flying just ahead of her, to her left, at the tip of the V. Hiccup would occasionally look over his shoulder back at her, they would share a bashful smile before Astrid looked down at her saddle and Hiccup turned back to leading the flight.

She couldn't stop thinking about the other night. They didn't do much but it was overwhelming all the same. She and Hiccup had kissed, hugged, and held each other at least a few times before, but never like they did last night.

She didn't say it back, but Hiccup still kissed her and said it was okay. She could take her time. And if they really were married, they had the rest of their lives for her to tell him. But she didn't want Hiccup thinking she didn't love him. Not for that long. He didn't deserve that.

But she didn't know if she loved him. And if she didn't know, if she wasn't completely sure, she just couldn't say it. But how could she not know?

She wanted to tell him so bad it was killing her.

Even as they stopped on an island to give the dragons a rest, and she and the others were looking around the woods, she was scolding herself mentally for being so indecisive and cowardly. Why couldn't she just say it? Why wasn't she sure?

With their dragons napping back on the beach, their riders were scavenging for water and some food to snack on during what was left of their flight back to Berk. Snotlout was climbing a tree to get some apples with the twins watching him from the base. Fishlegs had his botany book opened, comparing a picture in it to a berry bush in front of him. Astrid stood a few feet to his left, looking for other bushes for anything possibly edible on them. Hiccup did the same in the bushes behind her.

"Hey Astrid," Fishlegs said from the bush beside her. Astrid looked over to her larger friend. "I think these are edible," he said, pointing to the dark blue berries growing on the bush they stood by. Fishlegs proceeded to pick one off and eat it, smiling with delight, confirming to them they were not poisonous.

Astrid walked over, picking one herself and popped it in her mouth. "Mmmm," she hummed at the sweet, tangy taste. Hiccup abandoned his own search for fruit bushes and came over to her. Astrid looked over her shoulder, giving him a grin. "Hiccup, try one of these," she said to him, picking another and holding it out to him. Hiccup smiled as Astrid raised the little berry higher to his face. Hiccup happily opened his mouth and Astrid fed him the berry.

"Mm," Hiccup hummed as he chewed. "That's really good," he said to her after swallowing. They continued to stare sweetly at each other, making Astrid forget her frustration with herself for a moment.

Snotlout watched their whole exchange from up in the tree, hugging his arms and legs to a horizontal branch, an apple in one hand close to his mouth. "And I've lost my appetite," he said with disgust before letting the apple fall from his hand.

The apple fell and, with the twins both still under it but with their attention on the happy couple, the red fruit dropped, hitting Tuffnut's helmet and bouncing off before falling into the male Thorsten's waiting hand. Tuff smiled and bit into the apple as his sister started taking charge again. "You, shush," Ruffnut glared up to the dark haired lad in the tree, pointing a scolding finger. "And you two," she turned back to the happy couple, still pointing. "go on and pick some more berries while we go ahead and look for fresh water," she said a little more kindly.

The female Thorston looked past them to Fishlegs, giving him a telling look to come along with them. Fishlegs timidly walked past the happy couple and over to the twins as Ruff nudged her brother to add something.

Tuffnut slowly snapped his attention from his apple, looking from his sister to the happy couple, then back again. Tuff swallowed. "Uh…yeah. Fresh water," he said nobly, tossing his half-eaten apple over his shoulder. "Maybe even do some hunting. There could be some wild yaks or boars around here," he continued, looking around, getting excited for a possible hunt.

"I don't think we have time. If we want to make it to Berk before sun down, we shouldn't stay here for more than an hour or two," said Fishlegs.

"Fishlegs is right," said Hiccup. "We don't need any meat guys. Just look for a fresh water stream so we can refill our water skins," he said. Although it was meant for the whole group, he felt his order was turned more towards Ruffnut. She had been giving off a sort of 'take charge' vibe since dinner last night.

"Yes sir!" both twins hollered, saluting to their just married leader.

At that moment, Snotlout dropped down from the tree before being nudged away by Tuffnut. As he did so, Ruffnut took Fishlegs' arm and started yanking him in the same direction. The larger Viking teen gave little protest, knowing what the female Thorsten meant by this act, but Snotlout shouted multiple complaints as they disappeared from view in the bushes and trees. Before disappearing as well, Ruffnut looked back over her shoulder quick at the two remaining Viking sweethearts and winked.

She wanted to give them a little more alone time. To talk and _other things_ before they finished their flight back to their home island.

When they were alone, Astrid looked up at Hiccup and he looked back at her. They held the gaze for a few seconds before they both looked away, blush dusted on their cheeks but still smiling. Hiccup made himself busy by grabbing a small bag and started filling it with berries from the bush they tried. Astrid did the same on the other side of the bush, collecting the berries in her opposite hand.

They both picked in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, their eyes focused on their task. Although, when Hiccup tried to look over to his picking companion, he found she was already looking his way, but quickly snapped her head back down as he saw her. Hiccup looked away then too, the both of them still bashful and grinning like fools, thinking about the night before.

"It's weird, seeing Ruff this responsible," Hiccup said out of the blue, now on his knees as he picked berries from the lower region of the bush. He appreciated that someone besides the two of them was stepping up at this time for them. Astrid did mention something to him about Ruffnut promising both her and her brother would try to help them settle into their supposed marriage. And if that meant taking a bit of charge over the rest of the group while he and Astrid sort out their feelings in private, then she'd make that happen for them. It was nice, but still weird.

Astrid smiled as she walked over with her hands full of berries. "Well I'm certainly not complaining," she said as she knelt down next to him, her hands full of berries. Hiccup held his small bag open as she dumped her berries in. Hiccup pulled the bag closed and looked back up at Astrid, who was still knelt down in front of him, still looking at him with much love.

"Neither am I," he softly agreed, his smile adoring her back. Hiccup scooted the bag of berries off to the side so he could lean closer toward her. His hand found the back of her neck, gently pulling her lips to his. Astrid melted into his kiss, memories of last night rushing back into her mind. Her hand reached up to hold onto his arm extended out to her, just to feel a little more of him.

Much to her dismay, the kiss didn't last very long. Astrid breathed a soft huff of displeasure as Hiccup pulled away and dropped his arm, sliding it out of Astrid's hold.

Hiccup stood, smiling down to her, offering her a hand up. Astrid looked back up at him and reluctantly took it, standing herself. But she was not finished yet.

Hiccup had all but three seconds to look at Astrid before her hands were on his shoulders, pushing him backwards until his back hit a tree a few feet behind him. The auburn haired heir was startled at first, but he got over it, along with the pain in his back as her lips found his again, more hungry and demanding this time.

Astrid moaned as Hiccup kissed her back, as well bring his hands up to hold her waist, pulling her closer to him. Hiccup gasped as he felt Astrid nip his bottom lip with her teeth, then proceeded to nurse the bite by sucking on the same spot.

After getting his lips back to kiss her properly a bit more, Hiccup trailed his lips from hers' to down her jaw, holding her neck to kiss all along from the side to her throat. Astrid tilted her head back, giving him plenty of room. Her back arching forward as his sweet lips worshiped her smooth neck.

"Ahh… Hic-Hiccup," Astrid gasped when he gave her neck a slight graze of his teeth. Hiccup chuckled, beyond happy he could make the women he loves feel this way, before nipping her neck more properly then the previous time. Astrid giggled, both from the pleasure and the slight tickle it gave her. "The… the others might c-come back," she warned after a quick glance over her shoulder, not sounding all that serious about stopping whatsoever. Hiccup's lips grinned where they were at the skin below her jaw.

Hiccup gave her neck another long kiss. "You should have thought of that before pinning me against a tree and attacking me first," he said teasingly into her skin.

"Oh, I attacked you, did I?" she teased back.

"Yes," he replied before bring his face back up to look at her face to face, grinning mischievously. "And here's my counter attack."

With her hands still on his shoulders, Hiccup grabbed the back of Astrid's thighs, lifting her feet from the ground. Startled, Astrid reflexively held onto Hiccup's shoulders tighter, so not to fall. Holding onto her, Hiccup quickly kneeled back on the forest floor, laying Astrid down on her back. Still in a somewhat shocked state, Astrid did no more then watch as Hiccup sat down, her legs smooshed together in between both of his, and her arms held down by her head with his hands.

He had her pinned.

After lying there, dumbstruck for a few moment, looking up at his stupid, charming, playful smirk and big, green, adoring eyes, she laughed. Hiccup laughed with her, glad she was having fun. Almost as much as he was.

With her now at his complete mercy, Hiccup leaned down and kissed her again. Tilting his head to the side a bit, Hiccup deepened the kiss, swiping his tongue along her bottom lip. Astrid responded desperately, opening her mouth to let her tongue greet his.

Astrid kissed back with everything she had, moaning as his tongue slide against hers. She wanted to wrap her arms around his neck, feel his soft auburn hair in between her fingers, but she couldn't. Even as she tried pushing her arms up to free herself, Hiccup held firm the whole time, not letting her go. Astrid thought she would resent being held down like this, trapped under a man, being smothered. Even if this man is her husband. Even if this man is Hiccup. But surprising herself, she found much excitement in their position. She struggled a bit, only for Hiccup to keep her down, and for some weird reason, she liked it.

Hiccup was not afraid to fight her back.

After many more kisses along her lips, cheeks, neck, and forehead, Hiccup pulled himself up a bit, just hovering, looking down into her eyes. Both breathing heavily threw their mouths.

Without saying a word, Hiccup slid his right hand, holding down Astrid's left wrist, up just enough to cover her hand. Astrid tilted her head up to the side a bit to watch as his fingers wove around hers and locked their hands together.

Astrid turned back to the face of the man above her. Hiccup smiled lovingly down at her as he held down their joined hands. Astrid smiled back up at him, adoring him completely. The auburn haired young man hovering above his new wife lowered himself to give her one more kiss.

They should regroup and start heading out.

When the kiss ended, Hiccup pulled back as he got to his feet, helping Astrid up as well. While helping her up, Hiccup had released his hold on Astrid's right wrist, but by the time they were both standing tall, her left fingers remained intertwined with Hiccup's.

Astrid grinned, looking at their hands still joined together. Hiccup stared to, grinning lovingly at their woven fingers before looking Astrid in the eyes with the same amount of adoration. Astrid looked back, smiling as well, but her smile slowly turned down as her thoughts shifted back to what had been bothering her since that morning.

Returning her focus on Hiccup's face, which had grown concerned at seeing her troubled frown, Astrid said, "Hiccup." The auburn haired heir listened attentively. "This is… okay, right?" she asked timidly. "I mean… you're happy with this right?"

"Of course Astrid," Hiccup answered honestly, but not sure where this was coming from. "I've never been happier," he smiled again, squeezing her hand still with his.

Astrid allowed herself to smile for a moment from the reassuring gesture. Still, she continued the questions that plagued her. "But Hiccup, what if we're not…"

"Hey," Hiccup gently cut her off, reaching to hold her right shoulder, looking her straight in the eyes. "I love you, whether we're married or not," he said, giving her a sweet, honest smile.

Astrid felt her cheeks go warmer and turned her gaze downward again, her thoughts racing, as well as her heart.

He said it again. He loves her and can just say it like that. And Astrid had yet to say it once.

What was wrong with her?

"Astrid?" she heard Hiccup ask, his voice riddled with concern, sensing something was upsetting her. Astrid looked back at him, his eyes so sweet and full of love and worry for her wellbeing. She both loved and envied them.

She couldn't take it anymore. She had to try.

"I… um-I…" Astrid said, only to stutter. Why couldn't she say it? She did love him, didn't she?

Astrid hadn't felt this ashamed of herself before in her life. She didn't want Hiccup to see her like this.

Before she could stop herself, Astrid broke away, ripping their woven together fingers apart and started running.

"Astrid!" Hiccup called after her. But Astrid didn't listen. Her eyes starting to sting, Astrid kept running and didn't look back.

She had to get away. She was frustrated and just had to be alone.

Hiccup didn't diverse a girl who was too stubborn to let him know he was loved by the woman he loves and was married too.

Finally, when she reached a clearing in the woods almost ten minutes later, she stopped. Astrid leaned over, her hands on her knees, panting. But the pain in her chest was more than just her lungs crying for air. Her heart was crying. And as she rubbed at her damp eyes, she found she had been crying on the outside as well.

After wiping at her eyes harder, trying to dry them as best she could, Astrid stood tall and started to look around. The clearing didn't have much. A few bushes, a couple of trees, and a big mound of what she assumed were rocks off in the center surrounded by some brush. Wanting to get out of the sun, which was annoyingly shining in her face too much for her liking, Astrid walked over to the mound and sat in the shade of a nearby tree.

The shield maiden, now married, leaned her head back against the trunk and closed her eyes.

What did she just do? Did she really just make out with Hiccup, only to run away from him after telling her he loves her, just as he said last night?

Groaning, Astrid held the back of her head, bringing it forward to rest on her knees. She didn't know what to do. Astrid continued to sit like this as her mind raced for answers.

Why couldn't she tell him? She was fairly sure she did love him, but why couldn't she say the damn word?

Love.

Did the idea of love scare her? No, she thought. She was born a Hofferson. Just like her uncle, she was fearless. Then again, her mother did raise her to become a shield maiden one day. Shield maidens were not meant to get married and kept their virtue with pride and honor for their whole lives. Having that drilled into her head for so long, she must have convinced herself that she would never fall in love. And now that she thinks she has, she doesn't know what to think exactly.

Then again that wasn't a very good excuse. Her mother also raised her to believe dragons were their swore enemies and to never think of them in any other way, and that was changed for her with hardly any fuss.

Astrid thought further on that subject and her mind came back to Hiccup. How he took her on that incredible flight on Toothless, which not only started to change her feelings about dragons, but also her feelings for him.

Astrid smiled as she remembered that flight. The beautiful colors of the sky, feeling the wind in her face like that for the first time, wrapping her arms around Hiccup, not just to keep herself from falling, but taking comfort from him after she was comfortable to be up there with him.

Remembering having her arms around him brought her back to last night. He definitely wanted her there with him and she was happy to be there too. They did have feelings for each other, and were married just like that.

Was it the suddenness of the marriage that scared her?

Sure she had thought of Hiccup and her together in the future, working together, possibly married, possibly not. She had admitted that already. Why hadn't she considered if she loved him enough to marry him? And now they were married before she could work that out herself.

Astrid growled again in frustration, throwing her head back up against the tree trunk. Opening her eyes, she glanced along the ground around her and saw a rock, about the size of an egg. Out of frustration, Astrid grabbed the rock and hurled it at the biggest thing near her; the mound of big rocks surrounded by brush off in front of her, to her left.

The rock hit the top of the mound and made a sound on impact, but what surprised Astrid's ears was that the sound didn't sound like a rock hitting a rock. It sounded like a rock hitting something big… and made of metal.

The next sound Astrid heard, which unnerved her further, was a growl.

A dragon growl.

The blonde Viking maiden looked over to the mound. It became quiet for a moment, then she heard the growl again. Not only that, the mound moved. And when it moved again, it revealed a back, then a head, and wings.

Yup, definitely a dragon. And he looked mad.

The dragon looked almost like a Boneknapper, but smaller, and instead of being covered in bones, it was covered in scrapes of metal, all melted to its body like armor.

Astrid jumped to her feet as the metal clad dragon glared at her, not pleased with being disturbed on his island. As he gave an irritated roar, Astrid made a run for it, heading into the trees again.

Without her axe, her dragon, or any backup, Astrid felt totally helpless as she ran. She was a highly skilled dragon trainer, as well as a Viking warrior, but this was a new dragon she knew nothing about. When she and the riders confronted a new dragon, rule number one was always, obverse with cushion. And always have backup. If you didn't, you leave the dragon be and come back with it. This was always the best thing to do in the situation. Unless the dragon was following you. And that was what this armored dragon was doing.

The metal covered dragon chased Astrid on foot as she ran, trying to put some distance between herself and this angry-metal dragon so she could at least hide and lose it, then hopefully find the others instead of leading this dragon back to them.

' _I did this to myself_ ,' she thought, looking around for something that could get this dragon off her trail. If she hadn't run away from Hiccup earlier, she'd still be with him; picking berries, talking, laughing, maybe kissing a bit more. Ruff helped them have alone time so they could get past all their nerves and pride together, and make this work for themselves. But she ran off on her own because she couldn't handle it, and now she's being chased by a terrifying dragon in metal armor.

Coming to a wide tree, Astrid stopped, hiding behind it to catch her breath for a second. Astrid stood there, trying her best to keep her panting as quiet as possible, listening for the angry dragon. She decided to call him 'Armorwing' for his metal covered body, a very unique quality for a dragon, one she hadn't heard of before. "If I could just lose him," Astrid whispered to herself as she listened carefully for the Armorwing, stretching her neck a bit to pier behind the tree. The Armorwing landed a few yards away, looking around for his unwanted guest. Astrid pulled back, standing as straight as she could to not be seen, but keeping her ears open for him getting closer or going away. She listened as the Armorwing growled, his eyes glaring at all the surrounding forest, sniffing around. He knew she was nearby, somewhere among the trees.

So he started blasting.

To Astrid's right, she heard the dragon fire at a tree a few yards away from her. She turned her head slightly to see its burning remains. Not two seconds later, another shot was fired, hitting another tree between her and the first tree he hit. Astrid turned her head away, protecting her eyes from flying bits.

Over the faint crackle of the burning trees, Astrid heard the dragon's growl coming closer. She debated on making a run for it, but knew it wouldn't save her. She would be right in the Armorwing's line of fire.

When the growls stopped, Astrid held her breath, waiting for something to happen, hopefully so she could move and get out of there. A few seconds felt like hours, but when they were up, the Armorwing fired again, blowing up the area of the tree trunk just above Astrid's head. Astrid jumped away in time to avoid the majority of the blast, but as she turned away, a chunk of singled wood shot out, grazing across her right upper arm.

After rolling away from the third burning tree in the area, Astrid immediately got up and started running again, putting the burning trees in between her and the Armorwing to hopefully stale him for a moment. As she ran, Astrid grit her teeth from the pain of the slight burn on her arm. Looking down at it, she saw blood seeping from where the wood scratched her skin. Not very deep, she doubted it would need stitches, but it and the burn surrounding it was quite painful.

Still running, looking for another way to hind, a shadow passed over Astrid's head. Astrid noticed of course, but she barely had time to react on her own as she was shoved back, skidding a few feet on the ground just before the Armorwing could pumble her. As she opened her eyes to a cloud of dirt, she saw the Armorwing a few feet away for a spit second, before a hand grabbed her left arm and hastily hauled her back onto her feet. The owner of the hand on her arm had a second hand, which she felt on her back, guiding her as the two started running back into the trees.

Coming out of her daze, Astrid finally looked up to the face of her savior.

"Hiccup," she whispered to herself, beyond relieved to see him. If Hiccup heard her, he didn't give any indication he did as they ran together, occasionally looking over his shoulder for the metal cad dragon after them.

The Armorwing was still chasing them, but he was farther behind. Just when Astrid was thinking she and Hiccup could escape him, the newly wedded couple came to the base of a steep rock cliff. The two stopped in their tracks, catching their breaths as they looked around for a way over, around, or somewhere to hide. But there were no caves to hide in, no brushes or boulders to hid behind, it stretched too far in both directions to run around, and had no ledges to climb up with.

A moment later, the Armorwing sprang out of the trees with a great roar, glaring down at the two as they backed up to the cliff face.

They were cornered.

Hiccup nudged Astrid to get behind him as he started to approach the angry dragon.

"Hiccup, what are you doing?" Astrid whisper-shouted, standing where she was.

"Trying to calm him down," he answered her, without taking his eyes from the dragon.

Astrid watched as her left hand held her right arm, just below her wound. The burn hurt too much to touch. She was afraid, more for Hiccup's sack. Of course she'd never doubt his gift in training dragons, but this was a new, angry dragon, and he was jumping in to calm it without any clue how to handle this species. She knew what to do when confronting a new dragon, and so did Hiccup. They both knew the guide lines of training new dragons. They both helped write them. But she was a bit surprised at the same time. After she just ditched him earlier, she would have thought he'd never want to see her again. But he just saved her from being ripped to shreds by that dragon's sharp metal claws. And now he was risking his own neck, trying to train a dangerous new dragon because she made a stupid mistake.

"Hey there, pal," Hiccup said softly, extending a friendly hand up to the dragon. "You're probably not used to seeing people like us around," he started to take cautious steps closer to him. The Armorwing growled, still glaring down on him. Hiccup faltered for a moment, but pressed on. "Yeah, I know, I know you're upset, but we're not gonna hurt you," he raised his hand a little higher, making sure to keep smiling. The Armorwing's expression started to lighten, his eyes looking the small-ish human up and down. But when his eyes landed on the lad's lower area, he noticed that what was meant to be one of his legs wasn't a leg. It was metal. This dragon spends his whole life collecting metal for his armor. He knows metal when he sees it. "We love dragons, and we just want-" Hiccup's follow up string of calming words was cut off when the Armorwing pounced, knocking Hiccup to the ground, pinning him under his back foot.

"Hiccup!" Astrid yells, dashing forward to try and help. As she comes closer, the Armorwing looks back at her. Without removing his hold on Hiccup, the metal dragon swung one of his wings in her direction, hitting her in the stomach, sending her tumbling to the ground back a few feet.

"Astri-" Hiccup tried to call out, but the Armorwing suddenly applied a bit more pressure to his chest, making talking a bit more difficult. It wasn't enough to be very painful or harmful to his body, but it wasn't pleasant either. "Please," Hiccup said as clear as he could manage with the weight on his chest. The Armorwing looked back down at the human lad under his claws. Still winded from the blow, Astrid started to sit up. Thankful the part of the wing that hit her didn't have any sharp metal, so her abdomen wasn't bleeding. It might have a bruise later thou. Holding her aching abdomen, Astrid sat up, supporting herself with her left elbow. When she looked back at Hiccup, he was still pinned and still trying to reason with the wild dragon. "I know your mad, but please don't hurt her," she heard him plea to the Armorwing.

Astrid grasped. 'Don't hurt _her_?' He was supposed to say 'don't hurt _us_.'

She can't say she loves him back, she runs off on him like some kind of floosy, and now she gets him trapped at the mercy of a wild, new dragon that looks ready to crush him. She had done all that, and he still came and found her, saved her, and now is pleading for her life and not even his own?

For several seconds, both Hiccup and Astrid held their breaths the whole time, the Armorwing just stared down at Hiccup below him, his big yellow eyes not exactly wide, but he still didn't look too calm. Hiccup held eye contact, hoping it would get the dragon to recognize him as not a threat. Then the Armorwing's eyes wondered back down to something that actually interested him. The metal devise attached to the lad's leg.

And just like that, he and Astrid watched as the Armorwing reached down, and with his mouth, grabbed a hold of Hiccup's metal leg and ripped it right off.

Hiccup shrieked at the sudden attack, but didn't feel pain from it. When the Armorwing raised his head, Hiccup's metal leg in his jaws, the dragon swiftly removed his clawed foot from the Haddock boy's chest before soundlessly turning tail, flying away from sight.

A few seconds later, Hiccup starts to sit up, still looking to where the metal dragon disappeared over the trees. Seeing that he was really gone, Hiccup sighed in relief. Astrid echoed his sigh behind him before finally getting to her feet, rushing over in big strides.

"Hiccup!" she exclaimed worriedly, collapsing next to him on her knees, looking him over.

"It's okay, I'm fine," he told her, giving a smile to help reassure her. Holding it up with his hands, Hiccup quickly inspects what was left of his left leg. "I'm just lucky he didn't want my other leg," he joked, giving Astrid a goofier grin.

Astrid let herself give a small laugh. "Yeah. He probably wanted it for his armor."

"Most likely," Hiccup agreed. "It's interesting. He's like a Boneknapper, but with metal," he continued, looking back over the trees to where the dragon disappeared.

"Yeah, that-that's what I thought too," she nodded her head, looking down.

Hiccup turned back to Astrid, looking her over now to see she was okay too. The dragon had hit her in the stomach, but he couldn't see any blood there. She should get herself looked at by Gothi when they get back to Berk. But when his eyes went higher… "Woah, what happened to your arm?" he asked, worry thick in his voice. Hiccup reached out, taking her right arm, pulling it closer for him to see. Astrid let him take a look at it, giving a light hiss when he put a finger too close to the burn. "Sorry," he quickly apologized, retracting his hand but kept his gentle hold on her arm as he continued to look at her wound.

"I was just too close to a tree old Armorwing blasted," she explained simply.

Hiccup looked up at her. "Armorwing?" he asked, curious and intrigued.

"Yeah, that's what I decided to call him."

Hiccup shrugged a shoulder. "Huh, sounds appropriate," he smiled, making Astrid smile too.

Quickly turning his focus back to her arm, Hiccup started to take a closer look at the wound. The blood from the shallow scratches were starting to dry over, and around them, her skin was pink and sensitive. Astrid brought her other hand up to hold one of Hiccup's wrists, trying to keep his hand from touching it. Hiccup looked back up at her face. "I'm fine, a piece of wood just glazed me," she tried to ease his concern.

"It looks like it burned you too," he said, looking back at the very pink blister surrounding the scratches. "Why was he chasing you anyway?" he asked.

"Maybe… because I threw a rock at him," Astrid admitted, a bit embarrassed.

Hiccup raised his head again, a surprised expression on his face. "You threw a rock at a new dragon?" he asked, not entirely believing his ears hearing her correctly or his own mouth for repeating it. Astrid wasn't the type to just mess with new dragons like that. Usually the twins did that if they thought something dangerous would happen. Or even Snotlout if he wanted to show off. But never Astrid.

"I didn't throw it _at_ him, I just threw it. I didn't know he was there," she said, trying she defend herself, but knew she was still in the wrong.

"Well if you weren't aiming at him, why did you throw it?" Hiccup asked.

"I don't know. I was just…" Astrid stopped herself, looking down. Hiccup continued to look right at her, wanting to understand. "…frustrated," she eventually finished.

Astrid kept her eyes cast down, ashamed by her stupid move. For angering a new dragon, putting them both into harm's way, and for running away. Hiccup was fully aware she felt bad about what just happened, that much was obvious. He knows how hard she can be on herself when she messes up even on the littlest of things. But it was more than that. She ran off on her own in the first place because something was upsetting her big time. Hiccup opened his mouth to ask her, but the sound of dragons roaring stopped his words. For a moment, he and Astrid feared the Armorwing was coming back for another go at them, until whatever was coming their way became visible to them over the trees. It was not the Armorwing, but the other riders and their dragons. Flying with them was Stormfly, empty saddled.

As Astrid waved to her dragon, another roar came from the woods, drawing Hiccup's attention back to the tree line. "Toothless!" Hiccup cheered as the Night Fury came barreling out of the woods. The black dragon happily hovered over his already fallen rider, licking his face and nudging his chest and cheek as the other dragons touched down in the clearing around them.

"What the Thor happened to you guys?" Snotlout asked bluntly without dismounting Hookfang.

"Yeah, we heard a bunch of dragon roars and blasting and thought there was a wild dragon scuffle going down," said Ruffnut, still on Barf's neck.

"And we wanted to watch," Tuffnut chimed in, looking thrilled from the notion. Not appreciating where her brother's head was at, Ruff grabbed a firm hold of a few of his dreads and yanked them roughly, making him cry out a bit. "Yay! I mean… we wanted to make sure our happy couple was okay," he quickly blurted. Now satisfied, Ruff let go, a smug grin on her face.

"Well, a big, grumpy, metal-clad dragon was chasing Astrid. Then he took my leg and flew off," Hiccup explained. "Astrid got burned, but it's not that serious." Astrid looked back down at her burn, lightly caressing it without touching it completely. The young Viking women looked back at Hiccup at his next sentence. "But, you should still see Gothi when we get back." Astrid gave him a grin, nodding her head, agreeing that that was fair. Hiccup smiled back.

"A metal-clad dragon?" Fishlegs asked curiously, snapping the two newlyweds back to the rest of the group.

"I named him Armorwing," Astrid said to her larger friend.

Astrid crawled closer to Hiccup, pulling his arm over her shoulder. Fishlegs took his leader's other arm, helping him stand on his one remaining leg. "He most likely collects metal to weld to his body to protect himself. Which explains why he took my leg," Hiccup described as he stood.

"Or maybe he just wanted a little something to remember you by," Tuff suggested. Everyone else rolled their eyes, even his sister.

"Okay, a dragon that collects metal, like that's new," Snotlout said sarcastically. "I say we should leave before he gets greedy and comes after the rest of us. I for one do not want my helmet stolen again," he said, clamping his hands flat onto his helmet protectively. He had absolutely no interested in meeting another dragon species that loved to steal metal. The Smothering Smokebreaths were enough for him in his life time.

"Snotlout has a point. He let Astrid and I go, but I don't think we should push our luck," Hiccup said to the others, Astrid helping him stand with his arm still draped over her shoulder. "We've been here way too long anyway. We should get going."

Astrid proceeded to help Hiccup hop over to Toothless. "Wait, how are you supposed to fly Toothless without your leg?" she said just before Hiccup could climb onto his best friend's back.

"Please don't tell me we have to hunt down that stupid dragon for Hiccup's stupid leg," Snotlout grunted.

"Relax Snotlout. I have spares, remember?" Hiccup reassured his complaining cousin. Toothless stood still as his rider leaned on his back with one hand to support himself, and opened his saddle bag with the other. But after looking through it, he found none of his spare legs. Astrid, sensing something wasn't right, came closer and looked over Hiccup's shoulder. Looking in his satchel, she saw the problem. "What happened to my…?" Hiccup began to say but stopped as he pieced together why his spares were missing. "Ruff, Tuff…" he said, turning an accusing glance up to the twins mounted on the Zippleback's necks.

"Well, we did clear out everything in your hut that could be considered a tool or weapon," Tuff admitted, somewhat guiltily.

"You didn't even bother to check your saddle bag before we left?" Ruff asked.

"You guys are the ones who took my stuff and didn't give them back," Hiccup said, very annoyed.

"Well how about I just give 'em back now," said Ruff, reaching into her own saddle bag and pulling out one of Hiccup's metal spare legs. Hiccup and all the other rider's eyes widened, not having expected Ruff to think of bringing the leg for Hiccup in case he needed it.

Ruffnut smiled, gently tossing the leg to Astrid. Astrid easily caught it in her hands. Seeing it was indeed one of the copies of Hiccup's usual metal leg, she handed it over to the young one legged Viking man.

Hiccup gladly took the leg from his favorite blonde Viking woman, but then turned his head up to the other important blonde Viking woman in his life. "Thanks," he said to Ruffnut with a smile. Ruff smiled back, very proud of herself, and happy because she knew Hiccup was proud of her as well.

"Can we please just go before that dragon smells my helmet?" Snotlout demanded gruffly to the group.

Taking his cousin's words as a reminder of their situation, Hiccup got busy attaching the prosthetic onto what was left of his left leg. Astrid watched him attentively, making sure he didn't loss his balance before it was secure and that he could stand fine when he put weight on it after he did get it on. She knew sometimes his spare legs weren't always in the best of condition for him to use. She remembers him complaining about them pinching him because he didn't file them or care for them enough as much as the one he wears at the time.

When Hiccup got the leg on, stomping on it a little to test it was sturdy enough, he smiled at Astrid, grateful for her assistance, before mounting his dear Night Fury. Astrid smiled back to him and walked over to Stormfly, mounting her as well. When they were sure they were all set; the others had refilled their water skins at a fresh stream before coming to find them, and Hiccup still had the berries he and Astrid picked before she ran off, their dragons carried them back into the sky.

They'd arrive on Berk in a few hours.

* * *

 **Hoping I can fit the remainder of the story in 1 more chapter. I really want to finish this soon so I can start something new. I have a few ideas that I have been dying to type. But I prefer to finish what I start first.**

 **Please review, but no flames please. I do not welcome Haters.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello All! It's finally finished!**

 **I made it my goal to finish and post this last chapter before I went back to school, and I did! (I move back in on Monday) Now I can start on 1 of my many other ideas. And now I can celebrate by watching the new season of Race to the Edge. *WOAH!***

 **I know a lot of people have different estimates on how long of a flight it is from Dragon's Edge to Berk, so I want to give mine. In my story, it is a 9 hour flight. **

* * *

The sun was barely touching the horizon when the riders could finally see Berk in their sights. Flying over, only a few Berkians were still out and about, but each looked up and waved, seeing their noble riders returning home.

Gobber, still at the forge, stopped hammering to wave with a smile as well.

Still in the air, Hiccup instructed the twins to go straight to their house and look for Tuffnut's officiator's certificate. Also Snotlout and Fishlegs to go and help them. Meanwhile, Astrid flew towards Gothi's hut with Hiccup right behind her. The burn on her arm wasn't that serious, but it at least needed some medicine and a bandage so it wouldn't become serious. After that, hopefully they will know for sure whether Tuffnut really married them or not.

But before that happened, Astrid needed to explain some things to her new husband. Like why she ran away from him back on the Armorwing's island. Hiccup was most likely very confused and hurt by what she had done. He didn't really show it, but that didn't mean it wasn't troubling him.

She needed to come clean. If this was to be their new lives together, she needed him to know and understand.

She was confident he would, but at the same time, she also feared of losing him.

When Hiccup and Astrid made it to the deck of Gothi's hut, their dragons hovered so they could hop off (beats taking all those stairs up to her high-standing house), then let Toothless and Stormfly land themselves and wait for their riders.

Before walking into the village elder's hut, the newly wedded couple could hear painful cries coming from inside. The two rushed over to the door, just pulling the curtain door open enough to lean halfway through the doorway. There in the front room, they saw Bucket sitting in a chair, Mulch holding his best friend's shoulder as he screamed, and Gothi trying to remove what appeared to be a fishhook from Bucket's hand.

"GAHHH!" Bucket screamed again.

"For Thor's sake, Bucket, she hasn't even toughed it yet," Mulch told his friend, patting him on the back. Mulch's eyes then went to the doorway. "Oh hello Hiccup, Astrid. Welcome back," he said, making Bucket and Gothi look at them as well. Bucket waved his hook hand (the one that was a hook, not the one with a small hook pocked into his skin), and Gothi just gave them a smile before approaching them. She didn't have her staff or dirt to write with, but the look she gave them next, they knew she was asking them what they needed of her.

"Gothi," Hiccup greeted. "Hey, I was going to ask if you could look at Astrid's arm, but you look like you got your hands full," he said, while Astrid leaned her arm in to show the old women her burn.

Gothi took a gentle hold of the younger woman's forearm, looking closely at the scratches and the pink skin around them farther up. After a few seconds, Gothi looked back up at the two before letting Astrid's arm go and walked to the other side of the room to her supplies cabinet. The two watched as Gothi grabbed a bottle of some medicine and a roll of gauze. As she came back over, the village elder handed the two items to the chief's son.

Hiccup took the things, looking at them confused for a moment before looking back to the old healer. Gothi, still looking at him, quickly flicked her eyes to Astrid then back to him. "Oh, right. Yeah, I can do it myself," he said, finally getting it. Gothi smiled again before turning away and going back to helping Bucket.

Hiccup and Astrid, back outside on Gothi's high deck, the sun setting on the horizon, sat down. Facing each other on their own stools, Hiccup placed the medicine on the floor and tore a piece of gauze from the roll. Astrid watched silently as he opened the bottle, covered the top of the bottle with the gauze and turned it upside down.

The world seemed to slow down as Astrid sat there, watching him do something that normally takes a few seconds. Now that they were alone again, no longer in danger, and him just sitting there trying to take care of her, her mind went back to earlier; the sweet berries, even sweeter kisses, amazing touches, his big beautiful eyes looking down on her… her running off and almost getting the both of them killed.

That wasn't the right way to handle how she was feeling. She ran off mostly because her frustration was driving her to tears and she didn't want Hiccup to see them. It hurt too much. But leaving him like that must have hurt him more. Hurting Hiccup felt worst.

Astrid's mind finally returned to the present when she felt the sting of the medicine on her wound. Snapping her eyes forward with full attention on her surroundings, Hiccup held the back of her arm while gently dabbing the medicine to the burn, his eyes solemnly on his task.

Astrid silently wished for him to look at her, but she knew he wouldn't. Why would he? Even if he was mad with her, being the caring leader he is, would of course help her with an injury. But that didn't mean he had to look at her or pretend his feelings weren't hurt.

"Will I live?" Hiccup heard her say out of the blue. The heir snapped his head up to finally look at her, her big, blue eyes looking straight at him. And her lips in a smile that said she was trying to make light of the awkward silence they had been in with a good bit of sarcasm.

Hiccup smiled back, also letting a chuckled huff from his nose. "It's hard to say. The arm… it might have to go," he said, joking right back. This made Astrid chuckle too, but not without a roll of her eyes, followed by one of her signature punches to his right arm. "Ow," he said, his amused grin still present as he rubbed his sore arm with his opposite hand. "You keep punching me like that, one day my arm might have to go."

"Then you and Gobber can be twins," she joked back. The two laughed lightly together. When it died down, they fell silent again but the air was a little less tense.

Hiccup busied himself by adding more medicine to the cloth. "Uh, speaking of twins… Or um, _the_ twins," he stuttered as he dabbed more medicine on the burn, but actually looking at her while he continued to talk. "How do you think their search is going?"

Astrid paused for a moment to think on how to respond, now that he was directing the conversation back to the more pressing matter they were there for. "I'm sure Mr. and Mrs. Thorston would have kept track of it, had Tuff earned it. It's a big achievement, becoming an officiator." Hiccup nodded, agreeing with her before continuing to clean her wound. A few seconds back into the silence, Astrid decided that instead of ignoring the Rumblehorn in the room (or in this case; on the deck), she was going to face it head on. "Hiccup, I'm sorry I ran off," she blurted out. Hiccup immediately snapped his head back up, looking her straight in the eyes. His hand stopping his nurturing ministrations to her arm. Feeling ashamed again, Astrid pulled her right arm closer to herself, out of Hiccup's gentle grasp, and held it with her left hand, looking down to the wood boards under their feet. Hiccup gave no protest and let her have some space. "I almost got us both killed."

"Astrid," Hiccup said, putting the cloth down next to the medicine bottle. "Did I do something or say something that upset you?" Astrid's head snapped back up.

"No! Hiccup, gods no," she said desperately. "You didn't do anything wrong." Astrid reached out, taking hold of his hand in hers.' "Well, technically it was something you said, but…" she stretched on, thinking out loud, but didn't know how to finish her thought.

Hiccup took this chance to speak again. Placing his other hand on top of hers.' "Astrid, whatever I said, I'm sor-,"

"No Hiccup, don't you do that," she cut him off. "Don't apologize. Remember what I said last night? I don't want you to apologize, not for any of this," she said firmly.

"Then what is it Astrid?" Hiccup asked firmly back, but still with his saint-like patients. "Why are you upset? I mean, one minute you're shoving me to a tree and kissing me senseless, and the next you just run away like I did something horrible. What am I supposed to think?" he said with a desperate plea in his tone. Astrid saw it was also in his eyes, wanting more than anything to understand. She was right. Hiccup was very upset. Casting his eyes down for a second, Hiccup took a breath. Astrid felt him give her hand a squeeze. "I can tell when something is bothering you Astrid, but I can't read your mind. I want to help, but I can't if you don't tell me what's wrong."

Hiccup remained silent, not breaking his gaze on her for a second, waiting patiently for her to reply. Astrid knew now was the time.

"You love me," she finally said.

Hiccup didn't respond right away, processing what she said for a moment. That was not what he expected her to say after being asked what had been troubling her all day. "Yes Astrid, I lo-"

"Hiccup, please… just let me say this," she said, confliction in her voice but needing to press on. Hiccup gave a slight nod of his head, holding his lips together firm. "I know you love me. You said it last night, you said it again earlier, and I couldn't say it back once. That's why I ran off." Astrid's gaze fell back to her lap, unable to look him in the eyes anymore. "I don't know why I can't say it Hiccup. I just can't. But I didn't want you to think I didn't love you."

"And you thought running away from me would help me understand that?" Hiccup asked, half serious and half with a faint sarcastic quip.

"No, I know. I'm sorry." Astrid started shaking her head, still not looking at him. "That was stupid and foolish. I was upset with myself and- "

Her rambling was cut off when she felt a thumb shush her lips and another finger under her chin, gently coxing her to tilt her head back up. As she did, Astrid's eyes met Hiccups' caring gaze. Moving his hand already close to her face to cup her cheek, Hiccup spoke again. "Astrid, I told you I love you because that's how I feel. I don't want you to push yourself to say something you don't mean. That's just not you."

While Astrid agreed with what he was saying, she still couldn't ignore that he didn't deserve to be strung along in a relationship that had only a one-sided confession of love. "But…I don't want you to wait so- "

"Hey," Hiccup gently cut her off again, taking his hand off her check and placing it back on her hands in her lap, sneezing it with care. His eyes contact never breaking. And neither did hers.' "If we really are married, we have the rest of our lives together for you to tell me. I can wait," he said smiling, not just to reassure her but also from the thought of being with her for a long time. "Hearing you say those three words will be worth it." Hiccup bent his elbows, lifting their hands, holding both of hers' firmly in between his own. "And until then, I'm happy just being with you. And if you're happy, that's all I need in the meantime." His smile not faulting, Hiccup leaned forward, pressing his lips to Astrid's fingers visible from between his hands.

Pulling away and still smiling, Hiccup remained silent, awaiting the response of the young woman before him. Astrid continued to just stare at him, taking in everything he just told her. Eventually, the utter blank expression on her lips turned up into her own smile that said she understood. Her stubbornness still nagged her that she was being unfair to him, but Hiccup didn't care. All he cared about was her. He still wanted her love, and when she was ready to give it to him, he would be there to accept it with open arms.

She didn't want him to wait, but he would. For her. That was how much he loved her. Her stubbornness had no place in that.

"Hey you too," a friendly-familiar voice said from close by. Hiccup and Astrid turned their heads and saw Hiccup's good, old mentor, the village blacksmith, coming up from the stairs.

Hiccup and Astrid discreetly pulled their hands back to themselves as they saw the older man approach. "Oh, hey Gobber," Hiccup greeted his family friend.

Gobber walked away from the stairs and approached the couple. "I saw you lot fly in from the forge. Didn't expect ya coming home thou. Stoick told me he sent ya a Terror Mail just the other day. And instead of replying, ya come home. I told him you miss him as much as he misses you," he said heartily, thumping his big hand on the heir's shoulder.

"Oh, yeah. Right," Hiccup said slowly, rubbing his now sore shoulder. When he stopped, Hiccup looked back to Astrid, who looked back to him. They shared a brief conversation with their eyes before Astrid gave a slight nod. Hiccup nodded back before turning back to Gobber. "Actually, that's not exactly why we came back," he told his father's best friend.

"Well, what's going on then?" he asked curiously.

Hiccup gave a quick sigh before asking. "Gobber, do you know where my father is?"

"Well sure, he's at a meeting in the Great Hall with a few of the farmers."

"Could you do us a favor Gobber?" Hiccup asked. Not sure why the lad was being so cryptic about this request, Gobber nodded his head never the less. "Don't ask why, but I need you to go get Elvar the Harmonious, bring him to the Great Hall, and then wait there with him and my father. Tell my dad to send everyone else out," the younger man instructed.

The blacksmith looked at the two of them, puzzled and a bit concerned. "Just wait there for us. We'll be there as soon as we can," Astrid added when Gobber failed to respond in any way.

"Alright," Gobber reluctantly shrugged before making his way back down the stairs.

When the young couple heard him at least halfway down, Hiccup turned his attention back to Astrid. "I'll wait for Gothi to finish up with Bucket. You go get your parents and bring them to the Great Hall."

* * *

In the Great Hall, Hiccup paced nervously. His father, Gobber, Toothless, Gothi, and Elvar the Harmonious watched the heir walk the width of the table back and forth. The fire pit behind them, lighting the room. Waiting for, no one but Hiccup knew.

As soon as Astrid made it back to the ground from Gothi's deck, Bucket emerged out of the healer's hut, still whimpering, holding his bandaged hand to his chest. Mulch was right behind him, thanking the elder healer for her help on his way out. Then saying a quick hello to the chief's son before following his friend down the stairs.

Now that she wasn't busy, Hiccup could request Gothi's presence at the Great Hall for something important. He wouldn't say what, but the old woman agreed none the less and followed him down her stairs. Toothless was waiting for them at the bottom and followed his rider on foot.

By the time they got to the top of the Great Hall steps, the elder, heir, and dragon walked past several Vikings exiting through the giant doors on their way in. Stoick, Gobber, and Elvar alone remained inside. The first thing to come out of the chief's mouth was a hello to his son, whom he missed dearly, followed by a crushing hug. After the hug, the second thing to come out of the chief's mouth was why he was asked to cut his meeting short. Also why Gobber, Gothi, and the village officiator were present. Hiccup only said that it was very important, and private. But he also promised to explain everything as soon as a few more people arrived.

They had been waiting for almost half an hour. Stoick was getting impatient. Toothless could tell his rider was distressed again and tried to offer comfort, but Hiccup just smiled and insisted he was fine before giving him a head rub, then resumed his pacing.

Hiccup didn't know why it was taking Astrid so long to find her parents and bring them there. His mind started worrying about what might be keeping her. She wasn't supposed to tell them before they were all together, but what if her parents made her tell them? What if he was wrong about how much her parents liked him and were so mad that he married her so unlawfully that they forbade her to ever see him while they planned on annulling the marriage any way they could. Which could include killing Hiccup to make Astrid the widowed Lady Chief of the tribe.

Before the auburn heir's imagination could get any crazier from there, the group heard the doors of the Great Hall open. All eyes went to the heavy doors and saw the three Berk-resident members of house Hofferson enter and approach them.

Astrid's parents were a good-looking Viking couple. Each with different shades of blonde hair, a thick blonde beard on Mr. Hofferson. Both big and strong. Warriors that have served Berk well, protecting it from dragons and invaders. And both loving but firm parents to their only daughter.

"Good evening chief," Astrid's father, Arvid said proudly as he came over. "Our daughter told us you needed us here immediately."

"She neglected to tell us what for however," Hertha, his wife, Astrid's mother, added.

"Funny. My son neglected to tell me the exact same thing," Stoick replied, sending his son a look he only gave when he knew something was fishy.

"Gobber told me my presence was needed and he didn't specify for what either," Elvar finally spoke up in his snide voice, glancing at the blacksmith, very annoyed to be pulled away from his meal at home.

Elvar the Harmonious was a man only a few years older than Hiccup and his friends. Despite being born and raised on the barbaric island of Berk, Elvar had an air about him that made people believe he was more proper and important. Not very patient or pleasant to have over for dinner, but he was devoted and proud. A little too proud most of the time. And when he became Berk's primary officiator, that proudness only grew.

"Sorry, I was given very strict and very vague orders," Gobber said back, looking to the two who sent him on such an odd mission.

After Gobber spoke, all adult eyes in the room turned directly to the young couple, now standing side by side, Toothless behind them, both doing their best to avoid eye contact with said adults.

"Astrid, you called this meeting?" Arvid asked, surprised his daughter lied to them. His wife looking equally surprised.

"Well, Hiccup and I did," Astrid shrugged, barely meeting her father's gaze.

"I'm sorry Mr. and Mrs. Hofferson," Hiccup stepped in. "But…" he faltered when their eyes looked straight back at him. "There's been a…development?" he said, not sure about his word choice.

Astrid punched his shoulder while muttering " _That's what you're gonna call it?_ " through clenched teeth. Hiccup shrugged awkwardly to her as he rubbed his sore shoulder.

"Hiccup," the impatient grunt of the chief spoke. Hiccup finally forced his eyes to look back at his father. "What is going on here? What is this all about?" he demanded.

Hiccup, still nervous about announcing what had happened, started to stutter from panic. "Uh, well…um. D-Dad… the thing is… I-I mean…what happened was…" Hiccup stopped when he felt a gentle hand take his, holding it reassuringly. Glancing up to her, he saw Astrid giving him a sincere grin and nod, reminding him that he wasn't alone. She was in this situation with him and she was nervous too, but she had his back. Hearing Toothless purr from behind them, Hiccup gave her hand a squeeze to let her know he understood and he had her back too. After taking a deep breathe, the heir finally blurted, "Astrid and I are married!"

The room fell silent for only a moment, shock stunning them all. And then the moment ended.

"What?!" Stoick shouted.

"What?!" Astrid's parents both shouted at the same time.

"What!?" Elvar said more outraged than the others.

"What?!" Gobber exclaimed as Gothi wrote in the dirt on the floor. Gobber looked down to read it. "Wort!" he shouted. Gothi sneered, whacking the blacksmith in the head with her staff. "Ow! Sorry," Gobber apologized before taking another look at the old women's scribbles. "What?!" he correctly exclaimed for her.

"Hiccup, how did—how is this possible?" Stoick asked, dumbstruck but not exactly mad.

The chief's son stopped holding his breath, unaware he started holding it at all, finally took in some air before going into what occurred yesterday, how they were trying to show the twins how union ceremonies are performed and how Tuffnut accidently married them. He did however leave out the part of the twins locking them in his hut and the night he and Astrid shared. Her father was standing right there, and he wanted to keep his other leg. He also didn't feel like it was the time to mention him confessing his love for their daughter just yet. Then Astrid stepped in to explain the abrasion on her arm from the new dragon they ran into during their journey back home. And she of course left out her and Hiccup's little 'alone time' before she ran off.

When they were finished, they waited in silence for their parents to say something. But Elvar beat them to it first.

"I don't know who is the bigger fool; that Tuffnut for thinking he's a real officiator, or the two of you for believing him," the not-much-older man said rudely.

Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other for a moment, thinking about what that meant for them. "So Tuff didn't take classes with you?" Hiccup asked timidly, still not sure how to feel about either possible answer.

"Oh he did," the officiator replied. The couple's eyes widened for a second before Elvar continued. "We took a course together on officiating, under my mentor, Berk's primary officiator before me, Alvis the Amorous." Hiccup remembered that man. He was Berk's officiator for almost fifty-seven years before Elvar took over just two years ago. A very good and sweet man. A true lover of love, hence his name. "Tuffnut and I were both his students. I was always attentive and on time. Tuffnut on the other hand was always late and hardly payed attention. I insisted Alvis to just drop him from his tutelage, but Alvis was a much more patient man then most, including myself. Thought the lad had potential and should still be given a chance. But it didn't matter, because by the completion of our training, only I was handed my certificate. Not long after that, Alvis 'fell off a cliff'," Elvar used air quote on those last four words, believing the rumor that Tuffnut pushed him off the very cliff where their lessons were held. "And was of course retired, so I took over as Berk's primary officiator," he said, crossing his arms with his nose in the air.

"But Tuff didn't learn under you?" Astrid asked to be sure. When Tuff said he took a course _with_ Elvar, they assumed he meant Elvar was the one who taught him. They all figured Tuff became his student during their period of peace after defeating Dagur, while he wasn't off Loki'ing with his sister.

Elvar's eyes snapped open. "Of course not!" he said much louder. "I could hardly stand being a student alongside him, let alone being his mentor. I would have rather jumped off that very cliff myself," he ended his sentence in a huff.

Astrid turned back to Hiccup, but his eyes remained on Elvar, his thinking face on and working. The blonde Viking opened her mouth to say something but it died on her tongue as the sound of the giant front door opening directed all of their attentions to it.

"I found it!" the voice of an enthusiastic Tuffnut came from the doorway, waving a piece of parchment like a flag. Snotlout, Fishlegs, and his twin sister came in behind him.

"You what?" Hiccup asked.

The male Thorston twin approached his leader with the parchment. "I found my certificate. Look, it's signed by Elvar and everything," he said, holding it out for Hiccup to see. Hiccup took the parchment from his dreadlocked friend only to have it swiping out of his hands by his father a second later.

The chief looked over the paper carefully for a few seconds. "Tuffnut, this is a rejection letter from Elvar. Declining your request to be _his_ student," he said sternly and a bit annoyed.

"Yes Tuffnut. This is what a real officiator's certificate looks like," Elvar chimed in with his 'superior' attitude, pulled a rolled piece of parchment from a satchel over his shoulder. Unrolling it, the officiator held it open for the twins to see; a neatly written document with his name, 'Elvar the Harmonious' at the top, and on the bottom were the approved signatures of his mentor, Alvis the Amorous, whom wrote out the certificate; the village chief, Stoick the Vast; and the village elder, Gothi.

"Oh," Ruffnut nodded her head, looking it over. "You mean something like this?" she smirked, triumphantly pulling a rolled up document from her belt and holding it in Elvar's face.

"WHAT?!" the officiator exclaimed looking at the parchment in the female twin's hands.

It was most definitely an officiator's certificate, written in Alvis's handwriting, with Tuffnut's name at the top.

"That's right. Tuff didn't need your stupid tutelage because Alvis already deemed him certified and wrote him his own certificate before he retired," Ruffnut said smugly as she let Elvar take the document to look over with his dumbstruck eyes.

"B-B-B-But…" he stuttered as he looked over the certificate in his own slightly shaking hands.

"Ha!" Tuffnut cheered. "So I am a real officiator after all!"

Hiccup and Astrid looked back at each other, shock written all over their faces, but only for a moment. The shock quickly shifted into sweet smiles and looking at the other with caring, understanding eyes, as they squeezed the hand they were still holding.

"Wait just one moment!" Elvar called attention back to him. Smiling his snarky grin, Elvar continued. "This certificate was indeed written by Alvis the Amorous himself, for Tuffnut Thorston, and is signed by Alvis for approval," he said in his pompous voice, showing everyone the document. "However, below his signature should be the signatures of the village chief and the village elder for approval as well. And look," Elvar pointed to the bottom of the sheet at Alvis's signature before trailing it down further to the space where Stoicks' and Gothis' names were meant to be. But the space under Alvis's name was blank. "All three signatures are needed for the certificate to be authentic. But with only one out of three, it is not," Elvar said smugly, handing the parchment back to Ruffnut, who snatched it away sharply, looking angry and disappointed. Tuffnut just looked disappointed. "Sorry Tuffnut, but you are no officiator. Which means these two cannot be married," he said with glee, gesturing to Hiccup and Astrid just across from him. The couple, still holding hands, just glared daggers back at him for how rude he was being.

It wasn't that Elvar didn't like Hiccup and Astrid. In truth, the saw them as the finest couple Berk could hope for, if and when they would ever get together. It was Tuffnut he couldn't stand.

The greatest honor an officiator can receive is officiating the marriage of Vikings of such high stature or nobility. And on an island like Berk, you can't get more noble than the chief's family. Alvis the Amorous had the honor of marrying Stoick and Valka, so since the day he became his protégé, Elvar has wanted the honor of officiating the marriage of the next heir. Meaning Hiccup. At first he wasn't sure if it would be much of an honor because Hiccup, despite being the chief's son, was still the village nuisance. But after he saved them all from the Red Death, brought peace between them and the dragons and became the village hero, Elvar knew Hiccup's wedding would be the grandest affair Berk had even seen.

And if he married Astrid; well, everyone was sure they would get together eventually after Hiccup woke up from his coma and Astrid kissed him in from of the whole village. And of course they knew how close they have been since then. Astrid was a great young Viking and noble warrior as well as a fantastic dragon rider. Their marriage would be a spectacle like no other.

So the honor of being their officiator must be his.

And there was no way he would lose that honor to Tuffnut.

Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other, their hands sneezing, not sure what to say. Ruffnut just looked down at her brother's incomplete certificate as Fishlegs came up from behind her and looked at it from over her shoulder.

"Actually, maybe they are," the large boy said. All eyes went to the Ingerman lad.

Elvar's face went from smug to annoyed. "What are you talking about? Did you not hear what I just said? This certificate is incomplete, therefore, your friend is not officially an officiator. And by extension, the marriage ceremony he performed yesterday for our heir and Miss Hofferson was void," he re-explained.

"Well, you're right about all of that. But there are some things you missed," Fishlegs took the certificate from Ruff and walking over to Elvar, looking a little smug now. "It's true, this certificate was written and signed by Alvis for Tuffnut to be an officiator. And of course the signed approval of the village chief and elder is necessary for him to be an official Berk officiator, thus allowing him to perform legal Viking unions here on Berk or the Island of Frigga; Berk's formal matrimonially sight," he said.

"That's right. And it doesn't, so Tuffnut isn't an official Berk officiator," Elvar said.

Fishlegs turned his head to look Elvar directly in the face. "Yes. He's not an official _Berk_ officiator," the younger men said smartly. Everyone's eyes, especially the all the teens, grew wider. "The marriage ceremony Tuff performed yesterday wasn't held here on Berk or the Island of Frigga. It was held on Dragon's Edge; an entirely different island, not under the rule of Stoick the Vast, and where Gothi is not the elder." Elvar's eyes grew even wider, and his mouth dropped open a bit. "This certificate, while it is not approved of by any chief or elder, is still written by and signed with the approval of a real and experienced officiator. Without the signatures of the chief and elder, Tuffnut cannot perform legal Viking unions on Berk or the Island of Frigga. However, Dragon's Edge is an island all its own," Fishlegs explained proudly. He didn't call himself an expert on Viking unions for nothing.

"But-But that doesn't count," Elvar said, still trying to defend that Tuff didn't really marry the heir before he could. "Dragon's Edge is a wild little campground, with no written laws or political order. This can't possibly be legal," he said rudely. Everyone, especially the riders, all made faces at hearing him talk about their outpost like that.

"Actually Elvar, it neither proves nor disproves whether it counts or not," Stoick countered. While the chief wasn't crazy about his son getting married so suddenly, he would support them if this was indeed what Hiccup and Astrid wanted for themselves. He knew of course how close they were so he understood if they wanted to stay together. They were old enough. Plus, he felt the need to stand up for Tuffnut a bit. Not just because he was Hiccup's friend, but even he knew Elvar was being an ass about their current conundrum.

"So what does that mean? Hiccup and Astrid are only married on Dragon's Edge?" Snotlout chimed in, half joking but also curious, leaning against a table with his arms crossed.

Stoick actually thought on the notion for a moment before responding. "I honestly don't know. It's your island. The certificate makes Tuffnut an officiator. He might not be able to perform legal union ceremonies here on Berk or the Island of Frigga, but how that applies to Dragon's Edge… I have no idea," he admitted to the riders.

"So what? Tuffnut can just perform unions on any island out in the wild as long as it has no chief or elder?" Elvar cried out. "The chief and elder make it law bending. If there are no laws to bend to, there cannot be a marriage!"

"Oh come off it Elvar," Gobber said gruffly to the rude officiator, who was sounding more desperate by the minute. "We all know you're just sore 'cause now you know Tuffnut has been an officiator all along, and that he officiated the pride of Berk before you could," he said bluntly. Everyone in the room just stared at the blacksmith, both surprised and glad someone said it out loud. Elvar's face just looked more red with anger. "That's right. I said it. Someone had to."

"And it's not like we have no order at all on Dragon's Edge. We have rules and guidelines to live by. We all have duties, responsibilities," Fishlegs listed of. "and Hiccup is our leader."

"And he was the groom. So if Hiccup approves then that's got to be as good as a chief's approval," Tuffnut added with optimism.

"Hiccup is the leader of five dragon riders. He is not a chief yet. He has no authority to approve a legal union!" Elvar argued back. But after taking a deep breathe, his mood visibly shifted to his usual arrogant but calmer self. The officiator looked to the chief and Astrid's parents. "However, since we are all gathered here, just to clear away any lingering confusion, as a legally approved officiator, I of course could perform a real, legal union ceremony right here and now for the happy couple," he said smirking a little too big.

"Say what!?" the twins exclaimed at the same time. Everyone else just exchanged looks, knowing that was a beyond absurd solution.

Elvar straightened out his coat, standing tall with his chin snobbishly high as he stepped forward. "We're all here together on Berk soil; the chief, the elder, the bride's parents, and of course an official Berk officiator," he said the last one sneering irrelatively at Tuffnut. Both the male twin and his sister still loyally beside him, sneered back. "So let the pride of Berk and his bride step forth and-" Elvar said grandly, gesturing to where the heir, his lady and his dragon had been, only to stop his sentence when discovering that the two young Vikings and Night Fury were no longer there.

"Where did they go?" Gobber asked. He and everyone else looked all around the room to see if they had moved, but the three were nowhere to be found.

All but Ruffnut, who simply shrugged with a poorly concealed smirk on her lips.

* * *

On the far side of Berk, a Night Fury landed on a cliff that faced the ocean and away from view of the village. The sun had set and the moon was just coming out, all full and glowing, casting shadows on the land below. Two figures dismounted the dragon and walked hand-in-hand to the edge of the cliff.

The arguments that broke out in the Great Hall after the others came in with Tuff's certificate prevented Hiccup and Astrid from getting any word into what they thought. It was only a matter of time before someone would suggest something truly ridiculous. Like have Elvar re-officiate them right there in the Great Hall. So while Gobber was yelling about Elvar's sneaky desire to be their officiator, they decided not to stick around any longer.

During all the hoo-ha, Hiccup nudged Astrid to hide with him behind Toothless's wings as the dragon generously backed them away from the group and toward the doors. The only one paying the least amount of attention to the main conversation was Ruffnut. She stayed quiet as she saw them moving away, and looked at them surprised that no one else had noticed. The young couple were for a minute worried she would say something to the others and foal their escape. But Ruff gave them a small smile, not to obvious, as she inconspicuously tilted her head towards the door while pretending to scratch an itch on her neck. And just like back on the other island when she got rid of the others for them, she gave them a wink.

The two Vikings gave her a grateful nod before letting Toothless sneak them the rest of the way out of the hall. The loud voices of their family, friends, and Elvar masked the sound of the giant doors as they left without anyone but Ruffnut noticing a thing. And as soon as they were outside in the early evening, they both jumped onto Toothless's back and took off.

Hiccup and Astrid sat with their legs hanging off the edge of the cliff, just staring out at the horizon. After a few minutes of silence, Hiccup finally turned his head to look at the young women to his left. Her eyes firmly on the water below.

They hadn't said a word to each other during the whole ride to the cliffs. He didn't know what she thought about what they had seen and heard in the hall, and he didn't know what to say. She didn't protest in him bringing her there, so at least there was that.

And now that they were alone together again, things needed to be said. And even more questions to be considered.

What did this mean for them?

Tuffnut wasn't a Berk officiator, but could a ceremony on Dragon's Edge be legal?

Were they married or not? They still did not know.

They thought after coming home they would find out for sure, but now they were more uncertain than yesterday.

As Hiccup looked from Astrid back to the sea, he felt a great sense of déjà vu. It was just like last night in his hut. They sat next to each other, looking at something beautiful in front of them to distract them from the other because they didn't know how to start talking about their situation.

So like last night, someone had to break the ice or they'd never get anywhere.

"That was interesting," he said goofily, hoping to get a smile from her serious face.

To his joy, Astrid did smirk. "At least neither of my parents tried to kill you," she replied good-naturedly as she turned to face him. Hiccup chuckled with her. After that died down, their silence was not so thick with uneasiness. And then Astrid decided to start the real conversation. "So what do you think?"

Hiccup thought for a moment before replying. "I think my dad really doesn't know how or if what Tuffnut did was real. Thor, I'm not even sure," he said very at odds. "I mean," Hiccup paused to rub a hand over his face in frustration. "he's an officiator but he's not. And all that talk about Dragon's Edge not having any laws," he ranted. "Does it count?" he asked her directly before resting his face in his hand.

"Maybe Snotlout was right. Maybe we're only married if we're on Dragon's Edge," Astrid said mostly as a joke, but the statement did make a bit of sense; to both her and her supposed betrothed.

Hiccup turned his face back to Astrid, who was still looking at him. "So what? We never go back and we can just pretend none of it ever happened?" he said humorously, but fairy dry.

"Hiccup, you know neither of us can pretend yesterday never happened," she told him truthfully. Astrid shuffled her hand on the ground closer to Hiccups', placing it on top of his. "Not any of it," she shook her head, looking him straight in the eyes and he into hers.'

"I certainly couldn't," Hiccup said back. Hiccup looked down at her hand touching his. Slowly, Hiccup turned his hand over to hold hers' gently. Looking back up to her face, he continued to speak. "Astrid, I still meant what I said earlier today, back on the other island," he said honestly. "And please don't run away again," he said jokingly, which caused both him and Astrid to smile a bit. "I love you, whether we're married or not," he repeated. And this time, Astrid felt like being nowhere else but right there with him. Her hand in his. "I don't care if they want us to forget what Tuff said and what we did yesterday, or want Elvar to perform another ceremony for us so it's… more official, I guess. I don't care about what they think, all I care about is what we think. What we want to do."

Astrid just stared at him, thinking over everything he said, what they learned that day, processing what she had been thinking. Then out of nowhere, the blonde young women let out a frustrated groan, followed by throwing her arms around Hiccup's middle and squishing her cheek to his collar bone. Hiccup was stunned for a moment and thought he would fall back from the force, but when he found his bearings, he wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her back tenderly. She was frustrated and so was him. They both needed a hug.

His riding leather felt cold from the night air, but Astrid hardly noticed. All she felt was warmth and comfort in Hiccup's arms. Taking a breath to calm herself, the sound of Hiccup's heart beat right next to her ear helping even more, Astrid spoke. "I don't want to pretend it never happened or forget everything we did and said, I just want…"

Astrid stopped herself as she recalled everything that occurred back on Gothi's deck. Everything he said to her last night in his hut. Everything she felt when he touched, held, or kissed her, and even just him looking at her or saying her name.

She felt that this whole time. Maybe even longer, but she didn't know for sure what it was. But now, thanks to Hiccup, _her_ Hiccup, she knew. She finally knew.

Hiccup wasn't sure what to think when Astrid stopped talking mid-sentence, but he figured she was just calming the storm in her mind before speaking to him. Then before he knew it, Astrid started to pull away from him. Not by much, just enough to look him straight in the face, her arm with the bandage still around him and her left hand now resting on his arm.

The look in her eyes was calm and sweet. And Hiccups' were calm but longing. "Hiccup, remember what you said the other night, about us being together because we want to be?" she asked him. Hiccup remembered. He had told her there was nothing he wanted more than to be with her. But she hadn't said the same to him. "Hiccup, I want to be with you," she said tenderly. Hiccup smiled as her hand on his arm traveled up his body and cupped his cheek. Hiccup closed his eyes and leaned into her hand. "Because I love you."

Hiccup's eyes snapped open and straightened his neck so quick it was like lightning had struck in the clear night.

Astrid was startled for a moment, her hand dropping to his shoulder, but she replaced her smile, still genuine, for him. She would have told him back on Gothi's deck if Gobber had given them less than another minute. If she had been able to get a word in back at the Great Hall, she would have blurted it out to him right there. But this was better. She just wanted to share it with Hiccup. It was all so new to her and she just wanted him to herself for now.

Astrid waited patiently for Hiccup to reply, or react in anyway besides just blinking at her. And before she could try and ask him if he was okay, the auburn-haired heir's lips slowly broke into a smile, getting bigger and bigger with every passing second. "I love you too," he said back. Astrid smiled even wider, happy beyond words to hear him say that to her again. Astrid was so happy she let out a small laugh before pulling his shoulders in closer and catching his lips with hers.' It was gentle, yet completely passionate, but only lasted a few seconds. When Hiccup pulled away, he immediately pulled Astrid back to him for another caring hug, this time her head resting on his shoulder. Astrid hugged him back. "But Astrid," Hiccup said after a few minutes of just them holding each other. The two pulled apart just enough to look each other in the eyes. "I'm not-I'm not ready to-" Hiccup stuttered, but the women who holds his heart understood.

She chuckled, putting a finger to his lips, stopping his stuttered words. "I know. I'm not either," she said with a subtle shake of her head. Astrid removed her finger from his mouth and moved it to card all her fingers in his soft auburn hair. "But I am ready to just be here, with you." Hiccup smiled back, never getting tired of feeling her hands in his hair.

Hiccup leaned his head in and touched his forehead to Astrid's. Both closed their eyes, just savoring the moment.

When they finally pulled back, Astrid crawled into Hiccup's lap, sitting on his legs with both her legs curled up on his right side. Hiccup held her close as she rested her head on his shoulder, one of her hands held by his in her lap. Hiccup breathed in the scent of Astrid's head of golden hair before giving the top of it a kiss. The two young adult Vikings continued to snuggle as they looked at the moon over the ocean, its majestic glow making the sea sparkle and shine.

Marriage could be considered some other day. The close future, distance future, maybe not even till Hiccup becomes chief, but they were open to it. More open than ever before.

For the moment, being together was all that mattered. Being there for each other, and making each other happy.

But if and when the day finally came, it would be on their terms, on their land, and because they wanted it and were ready for it.

As for the officiator… definitely not Elvar. Maybe Tuffnut. If he can get Stoick and Gothi to sign his certificate. They'll think about it.

Officially married or not, Hiccup and Astrid's love for each other was all the officiating they needed.

* * *

 **I know a few of u wanted me to have Tuffnut officially an officiator so Hiccup and Astrid would really be married in the end (unlike the real episode where Fishlegs and Ruff turned out to not actually be married). But that was not my plan.**

 **My original plan was just going to be Tuffnut not having earned his certificate at all, and then Hiccup and Astrid feel awkward about that they had to face all these feelings for each other only for them not to be married, eventually leading to the cliff scene at the end.**

 **But then I had the best stoke of genius.**

 **I already planned how an officiator's certificate in my story is supposed to be filled out (just like in the story), and the idea hit me for Tuff's to be incomplete, so it was unclear if they really were married.**

 **I wanted to stick with the actual story line; so I didn't want them to be married yet, but still get together as a couple in the end, but I sorta didn't want to ignore the people who were requesting that Tuff really did earn his certificate.**

 **So yeah, I thought it was good compromise. And I actually thought it was better for the story than my original plan anyways.**

 **I hope u liked this. I enjoyed writing this whole story very much. But now I'm just glad it's done and I can start something new. I have so many ideas, I'm not sure which to do next, yet.**

 **I am very proud of this story. Not just because it has the most reviews, favorites, and follows of all my stories here, but also because of how I tied together an actual episode with my own personal twists and spins.**

 **Please review and favorite, thanks for reading. Long live Hiccstrid!**


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